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Umietnost 1 novae / Art AWone 


Dragana Alfirevic, Corina L. Apostol, Annie Dorsen, Marko Ercegovic, Nina Gojic, Andrew 
Haydon, Gal Kirn, Marko Miletic, Goran Pavlic, Zrinka Uzbinec, JelenaV^sic, Dmitry Vilensky 
ur/ed: Vesna Vukovic & Una Bauer 



















6 

14 


Uvod 

Vesna Vukovic i Una Bauer 

"Administracija estetike" ili 
podzemni tokovi ugovaranja 
umetnickog posla izmedu ljubavi i 
novca, novca i ljubavi 

Jelena Vesic 


42 

68 

84 


Insceniranje kapitala 

Andrew Haydon 

Pregled brodvejske ekonomije i 
komercijalnog modela produkcije 

Annie Dorsen 

Od intervencije do infrastrukture 

ArtLeaks (Corina Apostol & Dmitry 
Vilensky (Chto Delat?)) 


104 

114 

130 

140 

150 

160 

178 


KRITIKE I OSVRTI 

Od estetizacije krize do politicke 
estetike krize 

Cal Kirn 

Izmedu nemoguceg i nemoguceg 

Dragana Alfirevic 

Berza kao prostor imaginacije 

Marko Miletic 


Umjetnost i klasno pitanje 

Coran Pavlic 

Obecanje nesvrstanosti 

Nina Gojic 

Minimum, i istovremeno 
maksimum 

Zrinka Uzbinec 

Biljeske o suradnicima 


Izmedu tekstova nalazi se rad Marka Ercegovica L.P. 

L.P.je serija fotografija o hrvatskom biznisu i birokratskom okruzenju snimana u posljednjih 
desetak godina. 

L.P.je cesto koristena skracenica za "Lijepi pozdrav", sintagmu kojom zavrsava vecina 
korporativnih mailova u Hrvatskoj. 





ntents 


10 

27 

54 

75 

93 


Introduction 

Vesna Vukovic i Una Bauer 


(RE)VIEWS 


0| From aesthetization of crisis to 
political aesthetics of crisis 

"Administration of aesthetics" or 

on underground currents of 
negotiating artistic jobs; between 


Cal Kirn 

love and money, money and love 

Jelena Vesic 

Between the impossible and the 
impossible 



Dragana Alfirevic 

Staging capital 



Andrew Haydon 

Stock exchange as a site of 
imagination 

An overview of Broadway 
economics and the commercial 


Marko Miletic 

producing model 

Annie Dorsen 

On art and class 

Coran Pavlic 

From intervention to 

infrastructure 

The promise of non-alignment 

Nina Gojic 

ArtLeaks (Corina Apostol & Dmitry 



Vilensky (Chto Delat?)) 

The minimum and, at the same 
time, the maximum 



Zrinka Uzbinec 


178 N ° teS ° n contr '^ utors 


The work of Marko Ercegovic entitled L.P. can be found in-between the articles. 

L.P. is a series of photographs taken in Croatian business and bureaucratic environments in 
the past ten years. 

L.P. or Lijepi pozdrav (meaning Best regards) is a greeting at the end of the majority of 
corporate emails in Croatia. 








jljudi iz svijeta fin 
\ Rothschildovih, < 


govori se samo o 
umietnici medus 

j 

ponaivise o novc 

j_ j 



arem od zadnje 
ekonomske krize, i tzv. 
mjera stednje kojima 
se nemilice udarilo na 
javne financije (a u 
ovom dijelu svijeta 
umjetnicka se 
proizvodnja najcesce 
financira javnim sredstvima), tema novca 
snaznije je prisutna u umjetnickoj sferi. Cini 
se kao da se polje umjetnicke proizvodnje 
konacno senzibiliziralo za drustvene uvjete 
koje iziskuje i reproducira svojim radom, 
medutim ostaje u najmanju ruku dvojbeno 
radi li se pritom zaista o sistemskoj kritickoj 
refleksiji. Stoga je nuzno izblize pogledati 
umjetnicke radove koji reflektiraju ovu do 
jucer vulgarnu temu i diskurse koji ih 
okruzuju i guraju u cirkulaciju. Postavljamo si 
jednostavno pitanje: kako nam umjetnost 
moze pomoci da shvatimo drustvenu 
funkciju novca? Nudi li nam ona poseban 
pristup, ukazujuci na potencijalni nedostatak 
u ekonomskim i socioloskim analizama, ili se 
radi o pukoj estetizaciji analitickih uvida, 
takoreci vizualnim ornamentima? 

Nakon broja 6o/6i pod nazivom 
"Umjetnicki rad u doba stednje" koji je 
artikulirao pocetne korake materijalisticke 
analize kroz pitanja politickog stanja i 
ekonomske logike javnih pnancija odredenih 
tzv. mjerama stednje, konstituiranja 
autonomnog polja umjetnosti iz perspektive 
uspostave trzista najamnog rada, politicke 
funkcije kulture, odnosa izmedu kulturnih 
politika i politika visokog obrazovanja i 
mehanizama funkcioniranja medijskog polja, 
umjetnickog tretiranja politicko-ekonomskih 
uvjeta reprodukcija i logike umjetnicke radne 
samoorganizacije i metoda proizvodnje, ovaj 


tematski broj moze se gledati kao svojevrsni 
nastavak. Nastaviti za nas znaci kroz close 
reading odabranih umjetnickih radova/ 
praksi/pozicija pokusati iscitati kako se ovaj 
sloj kapitalisticke stvarnosti, novae, reflektira 
u umjetnickim procesima i narativima. Kako 
se umjetnost hvata ukostac s (ne) 
mogucnoscu reprezentaeije novca, buduci da 
je novae odnos, i da li je buduci nematerijalan 
ujedno i nereprezentabilan? Sto reprodukcija 
kapitala znaci u podrueju umjetnosti, 
posebno na podlozi iskustva postobjektne 
umjetnosti koje nas poucava da nije dovoljno 
fiksirati objekt ili ga pokusavati promijeniti, 
ako se pritom istovremeno reproducira 
citava operativna struktura koja uporno 
producira upravo takve objekte u njihovoj 
realnosti. Kakavje odnos umjetnosti i rada, 
posebno s obzirom na transformaeije uvjeta 
kakve stvara finaneijski kapitalizam? 

Broj otvara tekst Jelene Vesic koji 
obraduje administraeiju estetike, ugovaranje 
umjetnickog rada, te - na podlozi uspostave 
autonomije umjetnickog polja zajedno s 
uvodenjem najamnog rada - donosi 
diskurzivnu analizu modusa komunikaeije i 
afektivnih taktika pri ugovaranju, pokazujuci 
kako one proizlaze iz slozenog odnosa 
umjetnosti i novca, odnosno umjetnosti i 
rada, u kapitalizmu. Tekst Andrewa Haydona 
pregled je odjeka financijske krize u 
suvremenom britanskom teatru, u rasponu 
od 2009. do danas, i problema inscenacije 
kapitala, odnosno ogranicenih dosega tih 
predstava buduci da, bez obzira na temu, 
reproduciraju kapitalisticke nacine 
proizvodnje. Annie Dorsen pripovijeda o 
vlastitom iskustvu reziranja u komercijalnom 
kontekstu, na brodvejskoj sceni, demontira 
iluziju daje komercijalno kazaliste poslovno 



uspjesan model te trasira u kolikojje mjeri 
ovisno o javnim financijama, ali i o tzv. 
nezavisnoj produkciji. Razgovor osnivaca 
platforme Artleaks bilo nam je vazno uvrstiti 
u ovom kontekstu kao primjer organizacije 
umjetnickih radnika u borbi protiv 
eksploatacije, zajedno s ogranicenjima koje 
takvo udruzivanje nuzno sa sobom nosi, od 
teskoce sindikalnog organiziranja tzv. 
kreativnih radnika do nedostatka politicke 
snage koja bi zagovarala transformaciju 
drustvenih odnosa. 

Drugi blok donosi analize izabranih 
umjetnickih radova koje se hvataju ukostac s 
reprezentacijom kapitala. Dragana Alfirevic 
donosi prikaz dviju predstava koreografa 
Martina Schicka (Halfbread Technique: Post- 
Capitalism for Beginners i Not My Piece) u 
kojima autor na relaciji producent-koreograf- 
plesac-publika propituje solidarnost i njezine 
emancipatorske potencijale u kapitalistickom 
drustvu, ali i moc koreografije kao nacina 
organizacije pokreta, kako izmedu pozornice 
i publike, tako i medu gledateljima. Cal Kirn 
se na primjerima dvaju radova Margarete 
Kern ( The State of/and the Body i The Body 
Economic) bavi reprezentacijom krize, a na 
podlozi historijskih primjera i teorijskih uvida 
iz 1930-ih. Marko Miletic analizira rad In Light 
of the Arc Zacharyja Formwalta, video u 
kojem umjetnik proces izgradnje burze u 
Senzenu koristi kao poligon za diskusiju o 
razlikovanju pojavnih oblika kapitalizma i 
njegovih realnih posljedica. 

Zadnji blok posvecenje recenzijama 
recentnih izdanja. Coran Pavlic donosi prikaz 
knjige Bena Davisa 9.5 Thesis on Art and Class, 
isticuci vaznost njezine pojave u sferi kritike 
(vizualnih umjetnosti) zbog inzistiranja na 
sistemskoj refleksiji umjetnicke proizvodnje iz 


marksisticke perspektive koju je akademski 
pogon izgurao. Nina Gojic recenzira zbornik 
Parallel Slalom: A Lexicon of Non-aligned 
Poetics kao pokusaj sustavne reprezentacije i 
kriticke analize jugoslavenskih umjetnickih 
praksi (pretezno suvremenog plesa) isticuci 
vaznost sagledavanja povijesti 
(jugoslavenskog) plesa sire od estetske 
kategorije, dakle u njegovom specificnom 
drustveno-politickom kontekstu. 
Recenzirajuci publikaciju A Choreographer's 
Score Anne Terese De Keersmaeker i Bojane 
Cvejic, Zrinka Uzbinec postavlja pitanja o 
koreografskom radu, prijenosu koreografskog 
znanja i mogucnostima njegove socijalizacije 
kao nacinu odupiranja komodifikaciji. 

Umjesto da tekstove opremimo 
prikladnim vizualijama, odlucile smo, kao 
samostalni prilog artikuliran drugacijim 
jezikom, reproducirati fotografije Marka 
Ercegovica iz ciklusa L.P. Serija fotografija o 
hrvatskom biznisu i birokratskom okruzenju 
snimanaje u posljednjih desetak godina, 
paralelno s fotografiranjem za korporativne 
potrebe. Neupotrebljive za (samo) 
reprezentaciju politicke i ekonomske elite, 
smjestene u okvire umjetnickog casopisa 
fotografije nas vracaju na ishodisno pitanje 
odnosa i uloge umjetnosti u reprezentaciji i 
reprodukciji kapitala. 

urednice 


P.S. U trenutku zakljucivanja broja zatekla 
nas je vijest o smrti Haruna Farockija, 
autora ciji opus, makar implicitno, 
odjekuje ovim brojem. 



m 





t least since the last 
economic crisis, and 
the so-called austerity 
measures which have 
mercilessly hit public 
finances (and in this 
part of the world 
artistic production is 
mainly financed by public funds), the issue of 
money gained stronger presence in the 
artistic sphere. It seems that the field of 
artistic production has finally been sensitized 
to social conditions which it demands and 
reproduces by its work. However it stays 
questionable, to say the least, whether we 
are dealing with an actual systemic critical 
reflection at the same time. Thus it is 
necessary to take a closer look at artworks 
which reflect this, until fairly recently, vulgar 
theme, and discourses which surround it and 
push it into circulation. We ask ourselves a 
simple question: how can art help us 
understand the social function of money? 
Does it offer a special approach, pointing to a 
potential lack in economic and sociological 
analysis, or are we dealing with a basic 
aestheticization of analytical insights by, so 
to speak, visual ornaments? 

After the 6o/6i issue of Frakcija entitled 
"Artistic Labor in the Age of Austerity" which 
articulated initial steps of materialistic 
analysis through the questions of the state of 
politics and the economic logic of public 
finances as determined by the so-called 
austerity politics, the constitution of an 
autonomous art field from the perspective of 
establishing the market of wage labour, the 
political function of culture, the relationship 
between cultural policies of higher education 
and the operational mechanisms of the media, 
the artistic treatment of the conditions of 
reproduction in terms of political economy, 
and the logic of self-organization in artistic 
work, including its methods of production, this 
thematic issue can be viewed as a certain 
sequel. To continue for us means to try to 


attempt a series of close readings of selected 
artistic works/practices/positions in order to 
find out how this layer of capitalist reality, 
money, reflects itself in artistic processes and 
narratives. How does art wrestle with the 
(im)possibility of representation of money, 
considering that money is a social relation, 
and does that mean that money, being 
immaterial, is also unrepresentable? What 
does reproduction of capital mean in the 
sphere of art, especially on the background 
of experience of post-object art which 
teaches us that it is not enough to fix the 
object or to try to change it, if at the same 
time the entire operative structure which 
persistently produces such objects in their 
reality, has been reproduced. What is the 
relation between art and labour, especially 
considering the transformation of conditions 
created by financial capitalism? 

The issue opens with Jelena Vesic's text 
dealing with the administration of aesthetics, 
with the issue of contracting artistic work 
and - on the background of the 
establishment of autonomy of artistic field 
together with the introduction of wage 
labour - brings us a discoursive analysis of 
the modes of communication and affective 
tactics at play in contractual relations, 
showing how they are the result of a 
complicated relationship between art and 
money, or rather art and labour in capitalism. 
Andrew Haydon's text is an overview of the 
resonances of financial crisis in 
contemporary British theatre, from 2009 till 
today, and the problem of staging capital, or 
rather, of the limited reach of these 
performances, considering the fact that, 
regardless of the theme, they reproduce 
capitalist modes of production. Annie Dorsen 
narrates her personal experience of directing 
in a commercial context, on Broadway, and 
takes apart the illusion that commercial 
theatre is a successful financial model, 
tracing its dependence on public finances, 
but also on the so-called independent 


production. It was important for us to 
include in this context the conversation 
between the founders of Artleaks platform 
as an example of an organization of artistic 
workers struggling against exploitation, 
together with the limitations which such 
coming together into an association 
necessarily implies, from the difficulty of 
union organizing of the so-called creative 
workers to the lack of political force that 
would press for the transformation of social 
relations. 

The second section brings the analysis 
of chosen art works that deal with the 
representation of capital. Dragana Alfirevic 
reviews two performances by the 
choreographer Martin Schick (Halfbread 
Technique: Post-Capitalism for Beginners and 
Not My Piece ) in which the author questions 
solidarity and its emancipatory potentials in 
capitalist society in the relation between 
producer, choreographer, dancer and the 
audience, but also questions the power of 
choreography as a way of organizing 
movement, both between the stage and the 
audience and amongst the spectators. Based 
on two works of Margareta Kern ( The State 
of/and the Body and The Body Economic ) Cal 
Kirn engages with the representation of the 
crisis, on the background of historical 
examples and insights from the 1930s. Marko 
Miletic analyses the work In Light of the Arc 
by Zachary Formwalt, a video in which the 
artist uses the process of building the stock 
market in Shenzhen as a starting point for a 
discussion on the difference between 
manifestations of capitalism and its real 
consequences. 

The final section is dedicated to the 
reviews of recent publications. Coran Pavlic 
reviews Ben Davis' 9.5 Thesis on Art and Class, 
emphasizing the importance of its 
appearance in the sphere of (visual arts) 
criticism due to the insistence on systemic 
reflection of artistic production from Marxist 
perspective which the academic industry has 


pushed aside. Nina Gojic reviews the reader 
Parallel Slalom: A Lexicon of Non-aligned 
Poetics as an attempt at systemic 
representation and critical analysis of 
Yugoslav artistic practices (primarily of 
contemporary dance) emphasizing the 
necessity of considering the history of 
Yugoslav dance in a wider context than 
simply as an aesthetic category, thus in its 
specific social and political context. 

Reviewing the publication A Choreographer's 
Score by Anna Teresa De Keersmaeker and 
Bojana Cvejic, Zrinka Uzbinec asks questions 
about choreographic work, transfer of 
choreographic knowledge and possibilities of 
its socialization as a way of resistance to 
commodification. 

Instead of matching the texts with 
expected visual materials we have decided to 
reproduce the photographs of Marko 
Ercegovic from the cycle L.P, as an 
independent contribution articulated in a 
different language. The series of photographs 
dealing with Croatian business and 
bureaucratic environment have been taken 
in the past ten years, together with 
photographs for corporate needs. Useless for 
(self) representation of political and 
economic elite, placed in the framework of 
an art magazine, the photographs take us 
back to the initial question of the 
relationship and the role of art in the 
representation and reproduction of capital. 

The editors 


P.S. As we were finalizing this issue, the 
news of the death of Harun Farocki 
reached us. Fie was an author whose 
opus, at least implicitly, resonates 
through the issue. 















14 


"Administracija estetike" ili podzemni tokovi ugovaranja 
umetnickog posla izmedu ljubavi i novca, novca i ljubavi 

Jelena Vesic 


Frakcija #68/69 

Umjetnost i novae 


"Administracija 
estetike" ili 
podzemni tokovi 
ugovaranja 
umetnickog posla 
izmedu ljubavi 
i novca, novca i 
ljubavi 

Jelena Vesic 


"Paint what you love and love what you paint" 
Tom Roberts, 1890 

are ili zivot - Your money or your life!" - bila je 
pretnja, odnosno lazni izbor pred koji su 
razbojnici u XIX veku, upravo negde kada 
Roberts pise svoj kredo, stavljali neoprezne 
putnike na zivopisnim engleskim ruralnim 
putevima ili u divljinama britanskih kolonija. 
Drugaciji jezicki zaplet ovog potencijalno 
smrtonosnog izbora mogao bi glasiti "Ljubav ili 
novae!" - izbora koji se sa uvek istim iznenadujucim efektom stavlja pred 
drugu vrstu savremenih putnika, pred karavan mobilnih i fleksibilnih "radnika 
ili radnica u kulturi". Smisao ove ucene u domenu kulturne proizvodnje seze 
daleko u proslost, ali se, kao sto cemo videti, nikad eksplicitno ne imenuje niti 
izgovara. 



"Administracija estetike" ili podzemni tokovi ugovaranja 
umetnickog posla izmedu ljubavi i novca, novca i ljubavi 

Jelena Vesic 


Frakcija #68/69 

Umjetnost i novae 


15 


oi Normativ ljubav prema 
umetnosti derivira se iz 
Platonovog koncepta ljubavi 
(ljubavi prema filozofiji) kao 
transcendiranju ljudske 
egzistencije kroz samo- 
realizaciju, samo-usavrsavanje, 
znanje, stvaranje, misljenje, 
teznju ka besmrtnosti. Videti: 
Platon, Gozba ili 0 ljubavi 
(Beograd: BICZ, 1983). 

02 Videti: Arthur Danto, "The 

Artworld", Journal of Philosophy, 
LXI (1964), str. 571-584. 

03 Ibid., str. 582. 


U ovom osvrtu, pokusacemo da sagledamo nacine na koje koncepti 
"ljubavi" i "novca" danas naseljavaju kontekst proizvodnje i interpretaeije 
umetnosti. U njihovom kompleksnom i cesto nasilnom plesu dijalektika 
strastvenog i smrtonosnog zagrljaja otvara prostor za diskusiju istorijski 
napregnutog odnosa izmedu autonomije umetnosti i heteronomije rada, kao 
i za razlicite ideoloske strukture novih-starih ucena, sadrzanih u binomu 
ljubav vs. novae koje operisu u ovom domenu - uostalom, to su izbori sa 
kojima se oni koji proizvode umetnicke sadrzaje svakodnevno susrecu. 

Ljubav ce se ovde pojavljivati u veoma odredenom, ali i jezicki veoma 
heterogenom obliku - kao ideja i ideal, kao odgovornost pred istorijom i 
covecanstvom, kao eseneija onoga sto prepoznajemo kao "duh", ili cak kao 
"dusa sama", kao ultimatni smisao i validacija ljudske prirode. Koncept ljubavi, 
u ovom smislu, polazi od platonovskog normativa ljubavi prema umetnosti 1 i 
nastavlja svoju evolueiju u razlicitim pravcima razvoja estetskog idealizma, 
sve do pitanja drustvene odgovornosti javnog intelektualca, drustveno 
korisnog rada ili javnog dobra. U savremenom, fleksibilnom i 
samoorganizovanom kontekstu proizvodnje sadrzaja ljubav je kljucna i na 
jedan drugi nacin - kao polje transakeija u podrueju emocionalnih afekata - 
postfordisticka moneta prijateljstva i socijalnog kapitala. 

Koncept novca se, s druge strane, pojavljuje kao upraznjeno mesto 
govora, kao ono sto neproizvodni (stvaralacki) rad navodi na zamuckivanje. 
Novae je nesto sto se skriva iza reprezentaeije i dogadanja umetnosti, on je 
nelagodnost sama, a pominjati ga u ovom kontekstu predstavlja puki 
"merkantilni sund" koji je navodno stran svakoj pravoj umetnickoj nameri, 
politickoj odgovornosti i drustvenom angazmanu. Medutim, za razliku od 
brojnih inkarnaeija, jezickih, logickih i semantickih, kroz koji se pojavljuje 
koncept "ljubavi", deluje kao da je "novae" akter koji je u potpunosti neosetljiv 
na kontekst i transformaeije ovih odnosa. Drugim recima, dok Mr. Novae 
cesto ostaje prilicno anoniman i nevidljiv, Miss Ljubav stoji ispod reflektora i 
nasred pozornice, pokusavajuci da se prerusi bezbroj puta i stalno menjajuci 
maske i garderobu. 

Upravo je ova igra, ovaj "pies jezika", razlog zbog kojeg nas situaeija 
poziva da bude sagledana iz ugla terminologije, definieija, imenovanja i praksi 
komunikaeije, kroz svojevrsnu rekonstrukeiju razlicitih borbi i paktova sa 
logikom dominantnog kapitalistickog sistema. Ovakav pojavno dinamican, ali 
sustinski prilicno konzistentan susret odvija se na sirokom i ekspanzivnom 
terenu umetnosti - savremeni zivot je, za aktere u ovom polju, obelezen 
nominalnoscu kljucnih reci i izraza, tag cloud mentalitetom i kolicinom 
komunikaeije koja sve njegove ucesnike pretvara u "lingvisticke zivotinje", 
formirane i ogranicene matricom jezika. 


Prolog: zasto kazes Novae, a mislis na Duh? Zasto kazes Duh, a 
mislis na Novae? 

U tekstu Svet umetnosti Arthura Dantoa, koji ujedno mozemo smatrati 
prekretnicom u odnosu na klasicne i moderne diskurse umetnosti vezane za 
teorije imitaeije (mimesisa), istina i znacenje umetnosti pronadeni su u 
institucionalnom konsenzusu koji izdvaja obican svet od sveta umetnosti 2 : 
Umetnicki svet stoji naspram realnog sveta na isti nacin na koji bozanski 
grad stoji naspram zemaljskog grada. Odredeni objekti, kao i individue, 
uzivaju duplo drzavljanstvo, ali to ne narusava fundamentalni kontrast 
izmedu umetnickih radova i realnih objekata. 3 


16 


"Administracija estetike" ili podzemni tokovi ugovaranja 
umetnickog posla izmedu ljubavi i novca, novca i ljubavi 

Jelena Vesic 


Frakcija #68/69 

Umjetnost i novae 


04 O internalizaeiji institucionalnog 
aparata i biopolitickom razume- 
vanju institueije detaljnije je 
pisala Andrea Fraser u tekstu 
"From the Critique of 
Institutions to an Institution of 
Critique", Artforum, 44.1 (2005), 
str. 278-285. 

05 Danto akcentuje pitanje 
prepoznavanja, razlikovanja, 
distinkeije, a ne toliko ekonomije 
i robnog statusa koji su predmet 
ovog teksta: "Videti nesto kao 
umetnost zahteva ono sto je 
oku nedokucivo - atmosferu 
umetnicke teorije, znanje istorije 
umetnosti, umetnicki svet", 
Danto, "The Artworld", str. 580. 

06 U Andy Warholovim Brill0 

kutijama ima neceg blatantnog 
- ta repetitivna i reproduktivna 
proizvodnja serijskih objekata, 
nalik fabrickoj, uz element 
estetizaeije ili, Benjaminovski 
receno, "auratizaeije" - uz 
svakako prilaz sa cinicke strane 
"aure" koji postavlja znak 
jednakosti izmedu duha, ljubavi i 
novca - brutalan je komentar 
umetnika na proizvodnju 
vrednosti u umetnosti u eri 
optimizma kapitalistickog 
potrosackog drustva (Warhol je 
takode svoje brojne radove 
posvetio fetisistickom karakteru 
novca). Paradoksalno, sa istom 
brutalnoscu i cinizmom se 
danas, u eri politickog i 
ekonomskog pesimizma, 
dominantni diskurs savremene 
umetnosti vraca starim 
argumentima o duhovnosti, 
velicanstvenosti i stvaralackoj 
posebnosti, zatiruci novae sa 
videla i bacajuci kapitalisticke 
robne odnose ispod tepiha. 

07 Koncept ideologije umetnosti ili 
umetnosti-kao-ideologije izvorno 
je postavio Coran Dordevic - 
bivsi umetnik - koji je delovao u 
prostoru bivse Jugoslavije i 
internacionalno od 1973.-1985. 
godine. Za Dordevica je 
ideologija umetnosti olicena u 
konceptima st varanja, genija, 
autorstva, originalnosti, 
neponovljivosti i jedinstvenosti 
koji proisticu iz "religiozne 
svesti". Nasuprot prakse 
umetnosti kao izraza religiozne 
svesti Dordevicev (protiv-) 
umetnicki rad se zasnivao na 
negaeiji stvaranja putem 
istrazivanja, negaeiji originalnosti 
putem kopija, negaeiji autorstva 
putem anonimnosti. Videti: 


Na prvi pogled, nalik anahronizmima idealisticke filozofije, Danto ovde 
postavlja osnove onoga sto ce umetnost biti, a sto determinise "svetom", 
svakako - u duhu teorije i umetnosti ig6o-tih godina ne sasvim svetom po 
sebi, vec svetom koji se pozicionira u naspramnosti i dijalogu sa zivotom, 
drustvom, institucionalnim i meduljudskim konstelacijama. Dantoov "svet" se 
trostruko sedimentise otkrivajuci naslede akademskog videnja umetnosti, 
istorijski trenutak formiranja estetike kao zasebne sfere i formiranje 
institueija umetnosti u oba smisla - i kao ideoloskih aparata i kao 
interpersonalnih veza, interakeija, istorijskih dijaloga 4 . Ono sto se cini 
relevantnim za korpus razvoja savremene umetnosti kojoj Dantoov tekst i 
njegove posledice mogu biti pristupna tacka, odnosno interface, ne lezi u 
reformistickom pristupu filozofiji idealizma, odnosno podvajanju svetova kao 
takvom. Radije, rec je o pozieiji iz koje se to podvajanje ne deklarise kao 
proizvod nekakve ontologije umetnosti, vec kao institucionalni dogovor koji 
generise moduse proizvodnje, znacenja, interpretaeije, komunikaeije, pa i 
trzisne vrednosti umetnosti. O nekim drugim implikaeijama Danto u svom 
tekstu nece govoriti, ali ce teorija i praksa savremene umetnosti upravo 
pokazati ne-fiksni i fleksibilni karakter ovog sveta - njegovu ekspanziju i moc 
asimilaeije, njegove pukotine i curenja u realnost, njegovu osmoticku vezu sa 
drustvenim stvarnostima. 

Kako se to "podvajanje svetova" ogleda na umetnickom predmetu i 
njegovoj robnoj formi? Danto uzima za primer razliku izmedu Brillo kutija koje 
autorizuje (brendira) Warhol i Brillo kutija koje proizvodi istoimena fabrika 
deterdzenata 5 . Razlika izmedu umetnickog proizvoda i svetovnog proizvoda 
koja se ovde pravi 6 , zapravo zeli da podvuce razdelnu liniju izmedu 
"sakralnosti" (vecnosti) umetnickog dela i "profanosti" masovno proizvedene 
robe ciji se smisao u potpunosti iscrpljuje u domenu trzisne ekonomije. 
Institueija (ili svet) umetnosti transformise umetnika u moenu, a opet 
tragienu figuru nalik kralju Midi koji pretvara u zlato sve sto dodirne, kako bi 
mu se istovremeno ovaj cudotvorni dar obio o glavu (u slucaju Mide kazna 
"bozanskog dara" rezultira viskom zlata, a manjkom zivota, u slucaju 
umetnika - viskom "duha", a manjkom novca, odnosno plate). Institueija 
umetnosti prisvaja bozanski prerogativ stvaranja, ali takode kroz taj bozanski 
prerogativ otvara prostor za negiranje necega sto bi bilo materijalno telo 
(zivot umetnika), njegov ili njen odnos sa realnim svetom - nesto na sta ce 
kriticke umetnicke prakse referirati pod poglavljem umetnickog rada (ili rada 
umetnika) i drustvene funkeije umetnosti. U konceptu stvaranja i 
stvaralastva, u funkeiji kljucne poluge ideologije umetnosti 7 rad je zamenjen 
slobodnim i svemocnim tokom inspiraeije koja odlikuje umetnika-genija - 
ishod ovog slobodnog procesa, ili umetnicko delo, u skladu sa tim iskljucivo je 
odredeno imunitetom ili zastitnim znakom autorstva, unikatnosti i 
neponovljivosti. Upravo u konceptima autorstva i originalnosti, u kontrastu 
bozanskog atributa stvaranja ( creatio ) i zemaljskog atributa proizvodnje 
(productio ) lezi ideoloska opozieija umetnosti i robe koju institueija umetnosti 
samouvereno i uporno perpetuira. Upravo iz ovog razloga je robni karakter 
umetnosti oduvek bio neuralgicna tacka, nelagodnost sama, nesto sto je u 
estetici i istoriji umetnosti jednostavno uvek proizvodilo kratakspoj. 

U savremenom "preduzecu Kultura" umetnost gotovo nikada nije 
reprezentovana kao trznica, cak ni kada je nominalno, legalno i 
institucionalno zaista koncipirana kao trznica. Pogledajmo, na primer, 
razvijene sajmove savremene umetnosti, kakav je Freeze Art Fair u Londonu - 
manifestaeija koja se nedvosmisleno funkcionalno iscrpljuje u kupo- 
prodajnom domenu trgovanja umetninama, iako njena (samo)reprezentacija 


"Administracija estetike" ili podzemni tokovi ugovaranja 
umetnickog posla izmedu ljubavi i novca, novca i ljubavi 

Jelena Vesic 


Frakcija #68/69 

Umjetnost i novae 


17 


Coran Dordevic, "Umetnost kao 
oblik religiozne svesti", Oktobar 
75 (Beograd: SKC.1975) i Coran 
Dordevic, "On the Class 
Character of Art", The Fox, 3 
(1976), New York. Takode, 
Branislav Dimitrijevic, "(Ne) 
moguci umetnik: o nestvaralac- 
kim istrazivanjima Corana 
Bordevica" i Jelena Vesic "Igrati 
na terenu umetnosti, ne biti 
karakter u prici, govoriti 
pozajmljenim glasom", katalog 
izlozbe Protiv umetnosti, Coran 
Dordevic - Kopije (1979-1985) 
(Beograd: Muzej savremene 
umetnosti, 2014). 

08 U standovima prodajnih galerija 
prerusenim u curated rooms 
nikako ne mozemo prepoznati 
trznice ekskluzivnih objekata sa 
istaknutom cenom - cena se 
nikad ne istice, cak i ako je rad 
prodat - to ce biti naznaceno 
suptilnom tackicom u boji koju 
ce uociti samo oni kojima je 
informaeija namenjena - za sve 
druge, toje mozdajos jedna 
mega izlozba savremene 
umetnosti. 


i pojavna forma uvek upucuju na nesto drugo - u funkeiji reprezentaeije i 
"iskustva" ovakva ce manifestaeija najcesce upotrebiti ogroman simbolicki 
kapital komunikaeije, estetizaeije, intelektualnog rada, kreativnosti i konacno 
novca, kako bi posetioce, ljubitelje umetnosti, kolekcionare, pa cak i same 
aktere ove operaeije na trenutak razuverila da se ovde uopste i radi o novcu, 
robi i trgovanju. Uvek novi i za tu priliku porucen umetnicki ambijent 
obezbeduje posetiocima svaki put "novo" i drugaeije iskustvo ulaza u lavirint 
prodajnih galerijskih standova, koji nisu samo standovi, vec curated rooms sa 
izlagackim konceptima i precizno kreiranim atmosferama 8 ; edukaeija i zabava 
takode nisu zaboravljene - slede programi predavanja i diskusija, promoeije 
knjiga i casopisa, VIP i otvorene zurke, samoorganizovane prezentaeije (i 
prodaje) radova mladih umetnika, oglaseni i neoglaseni performansi, akeije, 
kustoske inieijative, zatim kontrasajmovi, alternativni sajmovi i tako dalje - 
ceo ovaj asemblaz umetnickih zbivanja, ova scenografija "duha", cini 
neprekinuti kontinuum prikrivanja, odnosno postavljanja trzisnih operaeija u 
umetnosti iza scene i izvan domena vidljivog. 

Kroz ovakve "igre prikrivanja" rada i novca uz pomoc jos vise novca i 
ulaganja kulturne industrije odasilju udaljeni refleks "istina" usadenih u 
temelje moderne estetike i istorije umetnosti, trazeci u njima sopstvenu 
legitimizaeiju, koliko god taj poduhvat delovao apsurdno i paradoksalno. 
Pouke o distinkeiji izmedu visoke umetnosti i njene javne funkeije i 
komercijalne umetnosti kao sinonima za nisko dala je Akademija XVIII veka i 
ovo naslede se po svoj prilici ispostavilo konstitutivnim za institueiju 
umetnosti u svim njenim fazama (samo)transformacije. Jos od Vasarijevih 
poziva na perfekeiju u umetnosti koja je strana bilo kakvoj drugoj proizvodnji 
i Winckelmannove dogme o "plemenitoj jednostavnosti i mirnoj 
velicanstvenosti" koja spaja antiku i modernost, pa do Diderotove kritike 
pariskog Salona 1767. kao "korupeije ukusa luksuzom" u kojoj se imenuje 
"novae koji unistava lepe umetnosti", primetno je jedno - industrijska 
revolueija, radanje burzoaske klase i umetanje umetnosti u jezgro 
kapitalistickih odnosa, odnosno direkna veza izmedu novca i ukusa, jeste 
svojevremeno bila pojava koja je naisla na sistemski otpor u okviru institueije 
umetnosti, tada jos uvek u nastajanju. Kako se "prava umetnost" istorijski 
razvela od novca? Upravo tako sto je prodaju, odnosno proizvodnju odredenu 
potraznjom, izjednacavala sa dekoraterskim poslom od kojeg je zelela da se 
distancira. U ideoloskom ali i veoma prakticnom smislu, sistem Akademija je 
sluzio oslobadanju umetnosti od srednjevekovnih zanatskih gildi, sto u nasem 
slucaju znaci oslobadanje od neposredne svrhe "dekorisanja luksuzom". 
Umetnost se, kako svedoci Joshua Reynolds, jedan od ustanovljivaca 
Akademije u Britaniji, atribuira kao "Intelektualno dostojanstvo (...) koje 
oplemenjuje umetnost slikara" i "povlaci liniju izmedu njega i cistog 
mehanicara koji ne proizvodi umetnost vec puki ornament". Tako institueija 
umetnosti u trenutku konstituisanja estetskog kao zasebne sfere 
ustanovljava do danas vazece atribute unikatnosti, originalnosti i autorskog, i 
uspostavlja razliku izmedu visoke umetnosti i komercijalne kulture luksuznog 
zanatstva (odnosno umetnosti kao izraza komercijalne kulture). 

U ovim razlicitim, medusobno antagonistickim i varijabilnim pokusajima 
uklanjanja novca, rada i radnih odnosa sa pozornice reprezentaeije umetnosti, 
uocava se konsenzualan napor da umetnost nikako ne bude shvacena kao 
business as usual, kao rad ili posao - vec kao nesto potpuno suprotno tome. 
Novae se tu pojavljuje kao stvaralacki stid. 


"Administracija estetike" ili podzemni tokovi ugovaranja 
umetnickog posla izmedu ljubavi i novca, novca i ljubavi 

Jelena Vesic 


Frakcija #68/69 

Umjetnost i novae 


18 


09 Buchloh zapravo govori o 
umetnickom intervenisanju u 
polje institucionalnog koje 
demaskira same mehanizme i 
politike koje stoje iza ovog 
reprezentativnog polja - 
umesto izlaganja tematskog 
rada, objekta, prethodno 
nastalog dela, izlaze se upravo 
interveneija u zadatu 
kompleksnu institucionalnu 
konstelaciju u kojoj se umetnik 
ili umetnica nalaze. U ovakvom 
estetskom domenu umetnost 
prisvaja alate birokratije - 
papirologija, dokumentaeija, rad 
sa proglasima i dokumentima - 
kako bi ih upotrebila protiv 
reprezentativnog i represivnog 
(institucionalnog) aparata koji 
proizvodi kriterijume evaluaeije, 
estetskog potvrdivanja i 
uspostavljanja vrednosti. 
Istorijski moment u umetnosti 
koji Buchloh opisuje i artikulise 
takode predstavlja trenutak u 
kojem lingvisticki i politicki 
dolazi do odredenog prevrata u 
samom polju umetnicke 
produkeije - paradigmu 
umetnicko delo zamenjuje 
paradigma umetnickog rada ... ili 
cesto rada umetnika. Videti: 
Benjamin Buchloh, "Conceptual 
Art 1962-1969: From the 
Aesthetics of Administration to 
the Critique of Institutions", 
October, 55 (1999), str. 105-143. 

10 Svakako, forma proizvodnje se 
uvek iznova uspostavlja kao 
neka vrsta odgovora na, 
althusserovski receno, poziv "hej 
ti" (dominantne) ideologije, 
dakle forma proizvodnje nije 
nikakva spoljasnja, prethodno 
konstituisana zakonitost koja 
postoji izvan same prakse, vec je 
njeno konstituisanje 
koegzistentno sa njenom 
manifestaeijom koji su upravo 
proizvod same prakse. 

11 Klasicni, zakonski validni ugovori 
se retko pojavljuju u 
savremenom svetu umetnosti, 
odnosno, cak i kad se pojave - 
to se desava tek nakon sto je 
citava stvar vec obavljena. 
Legalni ugovori u umetnosti i 
kulturi vode svoj zaseban zivot, 
oni su autonomni u odnosu na 
pregovaracku realnost u kojoj se 
umetnicki posao/rad zaista 
desava. U tom smislu, oni su 
zasebni i od zivota - oni su 
rodeni mrtvi, i njihovajedina 
svrha ili ciljjeste prebivanje u 
institucionalno-birokratskom 


Administracija estetskog i njene dramaturgije 

Medutim, sta se desava sa transferima ljubavi i novca, ukoliko bismo iz 
perspektive savremene umetnosti pokusali da pridemo samom aparatu 
produkeije, terenu svakodnevice na kojem se odvijaju razlicite prakse 
administriranja estetskog? Sta vidimo ako pokusamo da se voajerski 
priblizimo ekonomskoj realnosti "uposlenica" i "uposlenika" uvek 
ekspanzivnog "sveta umetnosti" u svim njegovim domenima (samo-)kritickih 
negaeija, transformaeija, prekoracenja, ukljucenja i iskljucenja i fokusiramo se 
na sam trenutak u kojem se radaju projekti i saradnje? Kako se umetnost- 
kao-ideologija nastanjuje u govoru koji se u tim prilikama koristi? 

Termin administracija estetskog skovan je za ove potrebe kao 
istovremena aluzija i inverzija znacenja Buchlohovog termina estetika 
administraeije, inverzija u smislu razlike izmedu izlagackog modusa/trenutka 
prezentaeije umetnosti (kojim se bavi Buchloh) i procesa koji mu prethodi - 
dogovora, pregovora, konverzaeije - onome stoje po pravilu smatrano 
isuvise banalnim i stoga odlozenim iza "pozornice" izlaganja i prikazivanja 
umetnosti. Buchlohov termin estetika administraeije svojevremeno je izrastao 
iz subverzivnih prisvajanja birokratsko-institucionalnih formi u 
konceptualnim umetnickim praksama sezdesetih i sedamdesetih godina, 
poznatih pod zbirnim nazivom kao umetnost institucionalne kritike 9 - 
analogno slucaju pregovaranja o radu koji je ovde u fokusu, termin je ozna- 
cavao umetnost koja prenosi u polje vidljivog odnose produkeije, paktove i 
dealove koji su obicno prikriveni, precutani i dekorisani "pravom umetnoscu". 

Kako se uspostavljaju odnosi unutar kulturne proizvodnje? Kako se 
individualni akteri i akterke sami postavljaju na pozieije poslodavaca i 
posloprimaca? Nezvanicni i para-legalni dogovori o umetnickoj produkeiji - 
cesto postavljeni na peer to peer osnovama -predstavljaju dominantne forme 
pregovaranja o "isporuci" sadrzaja ili ucescu u razlicitim kulturnim sadrzajima. 
Mozemo cak i red da se upravo u toj paralegalnosti, u samom odnosu "jedan 
na jedan" uspostavlja forma proizvodnje 10 , dok institucionalno "ozvanicenje", 
mobilizaeija reprezentativnog aparata, legalna verifikaeija dogovora - sve to 
predstavlja puku administrativnu potvrdu necega sto se vec dogodilo, 
zakljucilo i obavilo svoju funkeiju 11 . 

Dramaturgije procesa ugovaranja umetnickog posla koje slede 
uglavnom ce se odnositi na teren na kojem operisu protagonisti i 
protagonistkinje koje zive na dnu ekonomske lestvice "preduzeca kulture" - 
slobodni pisci, freelance predavacice, eksperimentalne kuratorke, kriticki 
orijentisane likovne umetnice, levi intelektualci, alternativne pozorisne trupe, 
nezavisni kriticari, esejistikinje; drugim recima, svi oni koji odgovaraju na 
pozive institueija (tacnije, koji proizvode sadrzaje za institueije, ili, stoje 
relativno skorasnji fenomen, to rade umesto institueija). Dramatizovacemo 
scene komunikaeije karakteristicne za autore i autorke, radnike i radnice u 
kulturi koji saraduju u razlicitim samoorganizovanim inieijativama iza 
paravana neposredne proizvodnje glamura i uspeha - za subjekte koje 
Gregory Sholette naziva tamnom materijom 12 u smislu njihove voljne 
(politicke) odluke o povlacenju sa mesta najizrazitije vidljivosti i neposredne 
vezanosti za "star sistem" i trzisnu potraznju. 

U ovoj "avanturi" silaska na teren proizvodnje, ili odredenoj vrsti 
pregleda scenarija u kojoj je svaka slicnost sa realnim akterima i akterkama 
namerna, akcenat ce biti postavljen na nekoliko tipova para-ugovornosti, u 
kojima se odnosi "ljubavi" i "novca", "igre" i "rada" ocituju u registrima govora. 
lako je rec o nezvanicnim i paralegalnim dogovorima, razgovorima ili 


"Administracija estetike" ili podzemni tokovi ugovaranja 
umetnickog posla izmedu ljubavi i novca, novca i ljubavi 

Jelena Vesic 


Frakcija #68/69 

Umjetnost i novae 


19 


arhivu (kao post festum 
legitimaeija, a ne aktualizaeija). 
Sama ova cinjenica nam vec 
govori o tome da postoje 
odredeni problemi u 
razumevanju umetnosti kao 
rada, i samim tim (i narocito) - 
kao placenog rada. 

^2 Gregory Sholette, Dark Matter: 
Art and Politics in the Age of 
Enterprise Culture (London: Pluto 
Press, 2on). 

13 Takode, vazno je napomenuti da 
je izdvajanje pozieija A i B kao 
fiksnih i nepromenljivih moguce 
samo u okviru zadatih 
institucionalnih odnosa vazecih 
za period takozvane socijalne 
drzave ili drzave blagostanja, 
dok u vremenu projekata, 
saradnji i fleksibilnog rada, 
pozieije A i B postaju cesto lako 
zamenljive i promenljive. Tu vise 
nije rec o paru dva elementa i 
jednoznacnom odnosu medu 
njima, vec o citavom lancu 
produkeije i stvaranja umetnosti 
koji ide od makrokulturnih 
politika do pojedinacnih aktera i 
akterki. 

14 O pojmovima land ekvivalencije i 
land razlike videti: Ernesto 
Laclau i Chantal Mouffe, 
Hegemony and Socialist Strategy 
(London: Verso, 1985). 

15 Akteri naseg prvog "slucaja" 
dolaze do ovakvih pozieija kroz 
pasivnu internalizaeiju 
idealisticke estetike, iako u 
vecini primera projektno- 
zasnovanog rada, i to ponesto 
ponekad i pomalo ipak 
razmenjenog novca (koji je 
ponosno izbegnut, izbrisan, 
precutan i potisnut u 
konverzaeiji) sluzi cistoj 
reprodukeiji zivota, i veoma je 
udaljen od bilo kakve vrste 
profita. 

16 Govorni primeri koji se nalaze u 
ovom tekstu, radije su proizvod 
dramaturskog researcha i 
iskustvenog i bliskog razgovora 
s razlicitim kulturnim radicama i 
radnicima, nego "objektivnih" 
nauenih metoda sociologije ili 
antropologije. Naucni metodi 
ispitivanja - tabele, formulari, 
lista targetovanih pitanja - i 
drugi oblici standardizaeije i 
shematizaeije, te otudeni odnos 
ispitanika i istrazivaca, 
istrazivaca i same teme, 
spoljasnja, objektivisticka 


pregovorima iza kojih u najeeseem broju slucajeva zapravo uopste ne postoji 
pravni ugovor izmedu dve strane, ipak se procesualno, u samoj govornoj 
praksi izdvajaju dve figure: Ona/j koji/a poziva (A) i ona/j koji/a se poziva 

(B) 13 

1. DZENTLMENSKO-DAMSKA PROMENADA, ILI PLEMENITOST BEZ 
ZASTITE 

Naslov je mozda zgodan da ilustruje atmosferu konverzaeije u kojoj se "svet 
umetnosti" posmatra kao izolovan od spoljasnjeg sveta, pa i od same 
egzistencije (umetnika), i u kojoj su podrazumevani land ekvivalencije 14 opet 
podrazumevano bazirani na zajednickoj ljubavi prema stvaranju i znanju, tako 
da se poslovni odnosi izmedu A i B nastoje da "ociste" iz govora. Pretpostavka 
A (a ponekad i B) je da je najveci ideal umetnosti upravo "stvaranje iz ideala" i 
da "nas" (uvek, u tom slucaju, "nas") vode iskljucivo ideje i idealizam, a nikako 
novae (koji bi u ovoj varijanti mogao da se razume i kao "interes"). S jedne 
strane, kreativni rad je posmatran ili kao neka vrsta prirodne potrebe, kao 
izvesna emanaeija dara ili kao podrazumevana gradanska, drustvena 
odgovornost javnog intelektualca - skoro kao bioloski rast ili metabolicki 
proces jedne kreativne persone. S druge strane, rec "novae" je posmatrana 
kao nesto prljavo i nisko (iako, uglavnom, nikome i nikada nije bio problem da 
primi nadoknadu za svoj rad, naprotiv - ali pitanje honorara se ovde prepusta 
neizvesnom podrazumevanju)... "Prljavstina" i "ruznoca" pominjanja novca 
takode proizilaze iz paradoksalne cinjenice da se same reci "iznos", 
"nadoknada", "honorar" i "troskovi" izjednacavaju sa nekom vrstom 
finansijskog dobitka (ili koristoljubivosti, ili mozda cak i - napisimo to veoma 
tiho - profita"), koju istinska umetnost navodno po sebi nadilazi. 15 

Govorni primeri: 16 

A - da li zelis da radimo imam odlicnu ideiu za ... hoces li da mi se pridruzis 
...; svecano vas obavestavamo da smo vas izabrali da .... datum je taj i taj 
...; tebe zovem da mi pises tekst, samo ti to mozes : pozvani ste da 
odrzite predavanje tu i tu, tada i tada; zapocela sam jedan projekat - to 
hocu da radim samo sa tobom ...; 

Bi - (osoba koja prihvata igru bez rezerve)... molim vas da se ne bavimo 
pitaniima raspodele budzeta - to je stvar menadzmenta - nego haide 
da pricamo o sadrzaiu - zato smo ovde, pisanie nije profesiia : necu da 
pricam o noveu. ia ovo ne radim zboq novca. nego zato sto me zanima 
... pa sada,ako nesto dode - dode; ali, ja bih ovo radila u svakom slucaju. 
jersmatram daje stvar vazna po sebi . 

B 2 - (osoba koja pokusava da svojim radom ipak upostavi egzistenciju, ali i 
da ne dovodi u pitanje odredene "neizgovorljive" stvari) ...hvala puno na 
pozivu - da li mozete da mi kazete i neke oraanizacione detalie: veoma 
mi se dopada ideja, ali me zanima i da cujem kakvi su tacno planovi 
vezani za produkeiiu : svakako bih volela da ovo radim - da li se moze 
znati kako stoie stvari u vezi proiekta u celini ... 


20 


"Administracija estetike" ili podzemni tokovi ugovaranja 
umetnickog posla izmedu ljubavi i novca, novca i ljubavi 

Jelena Vesic 


Frakcija # 68/69 

Umjetnost i novae 


pozieija istrazivaca namerno su 
izbegnuti. Pozieija istrazivanja je 
ovde radije unutrasnja, 
empatijska i empirijska, a 
individualna iskustva su 
poopstena kroz visegodisnje 
ekstenzivne i intenzivne dijaloge 
sa razlicitim kolegama i 
koleginicama, prijateljima i 
prijateljicama koji dele interes za 
ista, slicna ili drugaeija iskustva. 
Zahvaljujem se na komentarima: 
Kontekst kolektivu, inieijativi 
Uzbuna, kustoskom kolektivu 
WHW, kolektivu TKH, Bojani 
Piskur, Vesni Vukovic, Vladimiru 
Jericu, Zorani Dojic, Radmili 
Joksimovic, Sveboru Midzicu, 
Mirjani Dragosavljevic, Darinki 
Pop-Mitic, Andreju Dolinki, 
Dejanu Vasicu, Jeleni Petrovic, 
ucesnicima i ucesnicama 
diskusija o umetnickom radu 
inieijative druga scena, projektu 
Masinsko odeljenje u Rex-u, 
projektu Radnicka Anketa u 
Reina Sofia i Davidu Bergeu. 

17 Jedan od primera ovakvog 
odnosa bi bili tzv. open call 
pozivi urednika za tekstove u 
tematskim izdanjima glossy art 
magazina, ucesca u tematskim 
panelima, specijalistickim 
publikaeijama i slicno. 


U retorici onoga ko poziva - inieijatora, preduzimadee, menadzera projekta ili 
institucionalne reprezentkinje - ocituje se diskurs bliskosti, erotizaeije 
odnosa, upucuju se laskave pocasti i hvale ( zeleti, imati ideju, pridruziti se, biti 
svecano izabrana, biti pozvan, biti posebna, jedinstven...). Takav poziv se 
naizgled lako moze zameniti pozivom na igru, zabavu, druzenje, aferu... kao 
da je rec o zajednickom provodenju slobodnog vremena, a ne radu. 
Razumljivo, ovakva retorika neguje ideju posebnosti "sveta umetnosti" i 
"ljubavi prema stvaranju i znanju", cija druga strana moze biti samo banalnost 
surovog kapitalizma i motiv zarade i profita. 

Retorike pozvanih proizvodaca sadrzaja, Bi i B2, ce se medusobno 
razlikovati, iako ce nominalno obe reflektovati pristanak na plemenitu i 
plemicku igru bezinteresnosti i ovakav dzentlmensko-damski sporazum. 
Osoba koja odbija da se bavi "vulgarnim" ekonomskim i organizacionim 
aspektima kreativnog rada i koja razgovara samo o plemenitim stvarima u 
vezi smisla i sadrzaja verovatno uziva "luksuz" poslovne situiranosti u nekoj 
institueiji, na redovnoj je plati ili ima neki drugi (mozda porodicni) background 
koji joj omogucuje da ne zivi iskljudvo od sopstvenog rada. Drugi glas takode 
pristaje na ovaj hegemoni diskurs, iako odgledno iza njega stoji neko ko 
(pokusava) da zivi od svog rada i stalo joj je da ima precizne parametre 
proizvodnje, kako bi iste uklopila u "proizvodnu traku" svog zivota-rada- 
vremena-troskova samoodrzanja. U vezi ovakve, "B2 osobe", takode vazi i 
pravilo da ce skoro uvek, iako ce cesto odgovor na njeno nepristojno pitanje 
"koliko" biti "pa, nista", ipak odluciti da se (jos jednom) pomiri sa svojom 
dobro poznatom sudbinom volonterskog profesionalizma. 


2. TRIPARTITNO PISMO- CIST RACUN-DUGA LJUBAV 
(zatvoreni kod vs. otvoreni kod) 

Format tripartitnog pisma koji se polako odomacuje kao kanonska forma 
konverzaeije o umetnickom poslu trenutno obicno podrazumeva tri kraca ili 
duza informaciona bloka: 

— informaeije o sadrzaju/okviru projekta 

— informaeije o vrsti i obimu angazmana, mestu i vremenu "isporuke" 
sadrzaja 

— informaeije o honoraru. 

Dok u prvom slucaju dzentlmensko-damskog sporazuma susrecemo 
konstantnu nelagodnost u frazeoloskim, a ponekad i inventivnim pokusajima 
zaobilazenja red "novae", u slucaju tripartitnog pisma pronalazimo 
nelagodnost upravo u direktnosti njegovog pominjanja. U ovom registru 
govora nema mistifikaeije stvaranja, nema precutkivanja, potiskivanja, 
kostimiranja i zaobilaznih strategija lingvistickog politikantstva, ali ima soka 
pred brutalnoscu kupovine necega sto - istorijski nauceno - "nije na prodaju" 
ili barem "ne moze biti "cisto trgovanje". 

U "zatvorenom kodu" paraugovornog formata tripartitnog pisma A i B 
su jasno pozicionirani u polju mod - A kupuje radnu snagu ili administrira 
"kupovinu" u ime kupca, dok B aktivno operise na trzistu radne snage i 
spremna je da proda svoje vreme i ekspertizu. B moze biti tretiran ili kao 
kvalifikovani radnik (u kulturi: speeijalizovan za odredene teme) ili kao 
nekvalifikovana ili svekvalifikovana radnica (u kulturi: ona koja odgovara na 
opste i siroko-spektralne pozive kreiranja sadrzaja koji su na ponudi). 17 


"Administracija estetike" ili podzemni tokovi ugovaranja 
umetnickog posla izmedu ljubavi i novca, novca i ljubavi 

Jelena Vesic 


Frakcija #68/69 

Umjetnost i novae 


21 


Primeri prepiske: 

A- DragiXXX, 

Dobila sam Vas kontakt od YYY. Da li ste zainteresovani da pisete tekst 
na temu MMM za casopis ZZZ? Saljem vam koncept u attachments (att: 
kratki i uopsteni opis). Tekst bi morao da bude izmedu X i Y reci, duzina 
je standardna i striktna. Nazalost, rok je veoma kratak - moramo imati 
sve tekstove spremne za prelom najkasnije do o.o.i. (datum). Ukoliko 
ste zainteresovani za saradnju, molili bismo Vas da posaljete skicu za 
tekst koji biste pisali do kraja ove nedelje. 

Mozemo obezbediti ooo (suma) za autorski honorar, koji ce biti uplacen 
mesec dana po izlasku broja, sto je predvideno za 6.6.6. (datum, obicno 
3-6 meseci kasnije od predaje teksta). 

Nadam se da se uskoro cujemo, 

XYZ 

Bi (misli se u sebi, ili diskutuje sa prijateljima...) - Najvise volim da radim za 
kapitalistu. Ovde je barem sve jasno - koliko para, koliko muzike. 
Eksploatise jasno i javno, a ne "ispod zita" kao drzavne institueije ili "nasi 
prijatelji". 

B2 (uvek ostar komentar) - Najvise mrzim da mi se neko ovako obraca - 
kao da je pisanje teksta zavrtanje srafa na pokretnoj traci, kao da se ne 
angazujes celim duhom i telom da nesto kazes i porucis. Ovo je cista 
intelektualna prostitueija. Mehanicki seks. Kod prostitueije barem 
odmah dobijes kes, a ovde tek kad zaboravis da si ikada na tome radio. 
Sta ovo treba da znaci - da pisanje teksta nije najvazniji deo produkeije 
casopisa? Bas me zanima da li ce stampariju da plate tek posto prodaju 
tiraz... 

Pismo porucioca radova uspostavlja unapred otudene odnose proizvodnje u 
koje se ugraduje ono sto Marx u ranijim radovima naziva "realnom 
subsumpeijom" i sto Camatte i Negri nazivaju „potpunom ili kompletnom 
subsumeijom rada", odnosno „potpunom subsumeijom drustva" - koja ovde 
stoji za eksproprijaciju radnika iz procesa proizvodnje i magienu formulu 
putem koje ce se vrednost rada uvek smanjivati, a produktivnost uvek rasti. 
"Dobio sam vas mejl od XXX" cak govori o tome da B kojoj se narucilac ovom 
prilikom obraca i nije bila prvi izbor, vec je delegirana naslednica nekog za 
poslodavca primamljivijeg i na kulturnoj sceni intenzivnije tagovanog 
subjekta, koji je iz ovog ili onog razloga odbio posao, ali ga je ljubazno 
prosledio osobi sa kojom ima prijateljske veze, ili u ciju ekspertizu veruje. 
Posto skica za tekst treba da se posalje takoreci odmah, verovatno je rec o 
drugom, trecem ili cetvrtom krugu delegiranja u kojem se proizvodacica 
sadrzaja svodi na zamenljiv izvrsni instrument izolovanih, mehanizovanih, 
vremenski ogranicenih i donekle standardizovanih operaeija. Porucilac radova 
je ovde ne poziva kao autorku iza koje stoji odredeni oeuvre, jedan definisani i 
izgradeni profil koji se ovde zeli plasirati i podrzati, vec kao intelektualno 
opremljenog kognit-mehanika koji treba da se uklopi u insinuirana, nejasna ili 
krajnje nedefinisana ocekivanja. Opisi koncepata i sadrzaja su kratki i 
uopsteni, tako da bi se cinicno moglo reci da u tom smislu primaju bilo sta 
osim onoga sto ne primaju. Ovde obicno deluje kao da je mnogo veca briga 
da se stvar uspesno proizvede i spakuje kao projekat, da sadrzaj dobije svoje 
ugovorima definisane atribute u vezi toga ko ga narucuje, ko proizvodi, ko 


22 


"Administracija estetike" ili podzemni tokovi ugovaranja 
umetnickog posla izmedu ljubavi i novca, novca i ljubavi 

Jelena Vesic 


Frakcija # 68/69 

Umjetnost i novae 


i8 To ce se najcesce ogledati u 
izdvajanju velike kolicine novca 
za opremu, promoeiju i plasman 
projekta, a male za kreiranje 
sadrzaja i placanje saradnika i 
saradnica ciji rad predstavlja 
okosnicu samog projekta. 

ig Ovde se koristim softverskim 
terminom otvoreni kod takode i 
u vezi sa terminom otvoreni 
institucionalizam koji se odnosi 
na novije pokusaje reoblikovanja 
kulturnih institueija, zajednickih 
resursa i kulturne javne sfere u 
pokusaju odupiranja politikama 
stednje ili stavljanju kulture na 
trziste. Videti: Tomislav Medak, 
"Open Institutions i reforma 
kulturnog sistema", Frakcija, 
6o/6i (2on) (Umjetnicki rad u 
doba stednje), str. 50-54. 

Takode, vidi priloge s 
konfereneije Open Institutions, 
http://zagreb.openinstitutions. 
net. 


sponzorise, ko administrira, i ko je "vlasnik", nego za idejne detalje tog 
sadrzaja 18 . Drugim recima - deluje kao da bi ovi legalni dokumenti sasvim 
smisleno mogli da postoje i bez togjednog dokumenta koji bi predstavljao 
sam naruceni tekst. 

S druge strane, u slucaju "otvorenog koda" 19 , rec je o pokusaju 
drugaeije motivisane saradnje, koja je ipak prvenstveno bazirana na idejama i 
sadrzajima. Ovakva konverzaeija pokusace da se suprotstavi hegemonom 
aparatu proizvodnje i njegovim strogo definisanim ulogama kroz 
demokraticnije, interaktivne formate koji su otvoreniji ka kritickom 
promisljanju stvarnosti. U "otvorenom kodu" A i B su vec u nekoj vrsti 
comradeshipa na koji se racuna kroz (politicko) prijateljstvo i ljubav u 
"zajednickom dobru" i "drustveno angazovanim sadrzajima". Taj comradeship 
takode stoji i za uzajamno razumevanje i poverenje u vezi organizaeije 
produkeionog aparata, sa aspiraeijama da se na isti deluje takticki u smeru 
zamisljene transformaeije ili promene. Paraugovorna konverzaeija u obliku 
tripartitnog pisma otvorenog koda karakteristicna je za takozvani neprofitni, 
projektni sektor ili - u post-jugoslovenskom prostoru - najcesce za rad 
"nezavisnih kulturnih aktera" i razvoj onoga sto se naziva "nezavisna kulturna 
scena" - necega sto u sirem smislu moze biti prepoznato kao format 
samoorganizovanih inieijativa i kooperativa sa, naravno, odredenim deljenim 
drustveno-politickim i estetskim aspiraeijama. 

Primeri prepiske: 

A - Zdravo draga moja XXX, 

Dugo se nismo cule. Konacno smo dobili novae da realizujemo projekt 
ZZZ koji sam ti nagovestila prosle godine, secas se kada smo pricale u 
pauzama konfereneije BBB? Malo su se promenile smernice u 
meduvremenu, jer smo morali da napravimo neke adaptaeije i da se ipak 
povezemo sa YYY (projektom/institucijom/organizacijom) kako bismo 
dobili EU grant, ali ekipa je odlicna - videces. Uspeli smo da napravimo 
nekakav draft koncepta koji ti preliminarno saljem - naravno, ukoliko 
imas bilo kakvih komentara, primedbi i slicno - to je sve vise nego 
dobrodoslo. Vrlo nas zanima kako ti se sve ovo cini, ali opet imaj u vidu 
da je u pitanju samo draft... ne stizemo da se fokusiramo na pisanje od 
silne birokratije. 

Predlog je da napravimo seriju desavanja tokom novembra - javi pis da 
li ti to odgovara i u kojim terminima bi mogla da se pridruzis? Trebalo bi 
da imamo tacne datume tokom narednih nedelja, a dogovaramo se sa 
mnogo ljudi od kojih su svi "na sve strane"... znas kako je ... Zapravo, 
stvar najdalje mozemo da pomerimo za pocetak decembra, ali to bi bilo 
max odlaganje, jer krajem decembra treba pisati i izvestaje, uh-huh :). 
Takode, da ne zaboravimo "what keeps the mankind alive" - mogli 
bismo da ponudimo, skromne ali od srea :), honorare nasim ucesnicima i 
ucesnicama u iznosu od ooi (suma). Jasno nam je da to nije previse, ali 
znas i sama u kakvim uslovima se radi. Ukoliko mislis da je to premalo u 
odnosu na angazman, ne oklevaj da se bunis, mozda nekom magijom 
mozemo da iscedimo jos nesto iz produkeije i da povecamo sumu za 
oko pedesetak evra... U svakom slucaju, mozes da racunas i na 
standardne per diems, drugarske ruckove, vecere i dobru atmosferu ... 
Nije ni to za bacanje :) 
puno te pozdravljam i cujemo se jos, 
tvoja X 


"Administracija estetike" ili podzemni tokovi ugovaranja 
umetnickog posla izmedu ljubavi i novca, novca i ljubavi 

Jelena Vesic 


Frakcija #68/69 

Umjetnost i novae 


23 


20 Za (samo)kriticku analizu 
projektnog rada i NVO forme 
videti: Prelom kolektiv (Dusan 
Crlja i Jelena Vesic), "The 
Neoliberal Institution of Culture 
and the Critique of 
Culturalization", http://eipcp. 
net/transversal/o2o8/prelom/ 
en [pristupljeno 3. septembra 
2014.]. 

21 Videti: Teresa L. Ebert, 
"Alexandra Kollontai and Red 
Love", http://www.solidarity-us. 
org/site/node/1724 [pristupljeno 
3. septembra 2014.]. 

Svakako, Kolontaj je ovu 
problematiku prvenstveno 
vezivala za pitanja emancipacije 
zena i soeijalizaeiju brige o deci, 
ali smatram da se zahtev za 
promenom drustvenih odnosa 
na "molekularnoj" razini 
meduljudskosti, kroz 
transformaeiju ljudske svesti - 
moze postaviti i kao univerzalni 
zahtev. 


Tekst odgovora koji salje B bi ovde uglavnom bio direktan odraz teksta A - 
saucesnicki i konsenzualan. 

U slucaju otvorenog koda tripartitnog pisma (koji svakako nikada nije u 
potpunosti otvoren jer npr. ne stavlja u polje zajednickog eelovit uvid u razvoj 
projekta i budzetsku raspodelu) otkriva dve strane diskursa briznosti i ljubavi: 

S jedne strane, ovakvi procesi se mogu sagledati iz ugla mod, iz 
priznanja ucinaka supra-drzavnih ideoloskih aparata kojima je projektni rad 
izlozen (medunarodne fondaeije, projektne mreze itd), njihove potcinjenosti 
totalizujucim tendeneijama neoliberalnog drustvenog poretka. U tom slucaju 
ovakav para-ugovor bi znacio saucesnicki pristanak A i B na to da se bude 
"tucen" rukom humanizma (neka vrsta toplije, a utoliko i jezovitije verzije 
prethodnog modela). Ovu produzenu ruku "aktivnog nastojanja" (oko prodaje 
vlastite radne snage) i "cvrstog vezivanja" (u prijateljske forme i sadrzaje) 
suptilno boji i situaeija u kojoj je sve u vazduhu, procesu, pregovaranju, 
dogovoru, fleksibilnom aranzmanu, a ipak restriktivno odredeno projektnom 
formom koju odlikuje manjak raspolozivog vremena, kratki rokovi, 
kompetitivno umrezavanje i samo-prekarizaeija 20 . U projektnim formama 
pojedinaci i pojedinke se sami stavljaju u saradnju i meduzavisnost, sami 
odreduju i redukuju svoja primanja, dok faktor savremene tehnologije ovu 
komunikaeiju i produkeiju visestruko ubrzava, broj projekata raste, kao i 
kolicina rada, a primanja se smanjuju ili u "najuspesnijim" slucajevima ostaju 
ista. 

S druge strane, pojedinci ili pojedinke imaju odredenu autonomiju u 
menadzmentu projekata - imaju priliku da intervenisu u polju u kojem "ne 
primenjuje radnik uslove za rad, vec uslovi za rad primenjuju radnika", te da 
ovaj klasican oblik potcinjavanja prevedu u njegovu suprotnost. Dobar je 
menadzer, poput skretnicara vozova, u pozieiji da prespoji neke puteve i 
usmeri kretanje/misao/tendeneiju u nekom drugom pravcu (setimo se figure 
diverzanta iz partizanskih filmova!). Ta moguenost intervenisanja i delovanja 
sada se otvara i prema siroj zajednici i poziva se na jedan kolektivisticki i 
demokraticniji model ili pristup. Ljubav bi bila ujedinjujuci element ovakve 
kolektivizacije. Ovde nalazimo cesticu nastavljanja misli koju je doneo 
revolucionarni feminizam, a to je pokusaj stvaranja mikro-zajednica, 
savremenih kooperativa u kojima su interpersonalni, radni i drustveni odnosi 
organizovani drugaeije. Boljsevikinja Aleksandra Kolontaj je svojevremeno 
pozivala na izvesnu paralelnost, odnosno simultanu izgradnju, kako novog 
drustvenog aparata tako i promene licnih i meduljudskih odnosa, verujuci da 
kraj kapitalizma ne lezi samo u "apstraktnoj" organizaeiji drustvenih aparata i 
zakona, vec takode zahteva i koncentrisan i organizovan napor da se 
transformisu licne i meduljudske veze. 21 Ovaj poziv mozemo videti i kao poziv 
na revolucionisanje odnosa na pip osnovi, paralelno sa borbom za celovite 
drustvene promene. 

Medutim, nije tako pravolinijski, niti bez paradoksa, koristiti se 
iskustvima iz proslosti u "priruenom prevodu" za potrebe reformistickih 
politika stvaranja boljih i pravednijih zajednica. Svakako da je puna snaga 
realizaeije jednog ovakvog projekta moguca samo kroz prevazilazenje 
kapitalistickog sistema. Unutar kapitalizma ona ostaje alatka potcinjavanja ili 
unutrasnje transformaeije vec postojeceg... dok istinska revolucionarna 
praksa upravo tezi ostvarenju nepostojeceg. 


24 


"Administracija estetike" ili podzemni tokovi ugovaranja 
umetnickog posla izmedu ljubavi i novca, novca i ljubavi 

Jelena Vesic 


Frakcija # 68/69 

Umjetnost i novae 


22 Vidi npr. tekst Stipe Curkovica 
"Heteronomija rada/Autonomija 
umetnosti", Frakcija, 60/61 
(2on) ("Umjetnicki rad u doba 
stednje"). Ova vredna i iscrpna 
analiza ljudskog rada i 
drustvenih odnosa sa 
marksistickih pozieija, ocito se 
zadrzava na spoljasnjem 
pogledu na umetnost i 
umetnicku praksu kojoj se 
pristupa sociologizacijski kao 
nekoj vrsti a-istorijskog 
fenomena. U kratkom osvrtu na 
pitanja umetnickog rada 
(poslednje poglavlje teksta, str. 
30-33) Curkovic govori o 
umetnosti kao "bloku", kao 
monolitnoj strukturi u kojoj 
nema unutrasnje difereneijaeije, 
istorijskog razvoja, klasnog 
suprotstavljanja i politicke 
borbe, odnosno u kojoj nema - 
da parafraziramo Althussera - 
klasne borbe u kulturnoj 
proizvodnji (parafraza 
Althusserove definieije filozofije 
kao klasne borbe u teoriji). 

23 Ove tri provizorne strukture - 
visoka umetnost zatvorena u 
ideosferu idealizma, trzisna 
umetnost determinisana 
pragmatizmom i kriticke 
umetnicke prakse odredene 
materijalistickim pristupom 
umetnosti, na samom terenu 
zbivanja - kako je to uvek i 
slucaj - ne opstaju u nekakvoj 
idealnoj izolaciji ili 
konceptualnoj cistoti. One su 
radije tu kako bi 
problematizovale viziju 
umetnosti kao jedinstvenog 
bloka koji u svojoj separatnosti 
levitira nad poljem drustvenih 
zbivanja. Svet umetnosti, u svim 
svojim ekspanzijama, 
transformaeijama i mimikrijama 
(kao sto je vec diskutovano) nije 
nekakva zatvorena teritorija, vec 
radije sirok spektar pristupa i 
teren borbe - konfliktni pejzaz 
situiranja razlicitih pozieija i 
konstrukeija. 

24 Vidi: Luis Althusser, "Ideology 
and Ideological State 
Apparatuses" u: Lenin and 
Philosophy and Other Essays 
(New York: Monthly Review 
Press, 2001), str. 127-188, http:// 
www.marx2mao.com/Other/ 
LPOE70NB.html [pristupljeno 3. 
septembra 2014.]. 

25 Ovde treba naglasiti da su 
mnogi umetnicki pokreti, grupe i 
individualni umetnici i umetnice 


Stvaralastvo, preduzimastvo, umetnicki rad/nerad 

Kako zakljuciti razmatranje ovog ideoloskog transfera izmedu creatio and 
productio, izmedu Duha i Novca u cijoj manifestaeiji posreduju razlicite 
"parade" ljubavi - interesno i bezinteresno, sa vizijom ili kalkulacijom. Sta bi 
bio pretpostavljeni teren odnosa? 

Pitanje stvaralastva, preduzimastva ili umetnickog rada ipak se u 
istorijskom smislu ne moze redukovati na cistu i jednoznaenu opozieiju 
izmedu umetnosti i robne proizvodnje u citavom istorijskom razvitku i u nekoj 
vrsti totaliteta 22 , vec radije upravo taj odnos postaje osnov za udvajanja i 
raslojavanja, konflikte i borbe koje se desavaju unutar same umetnosti. 
Pozicioniranje se desava vec u samom imenovanju. Da li cemo odredeni 
umetnicki gest ili praksu kontekstualno i materijalno prepoznati kao 
stvaralastvo, preduzimastvo ili umetnicki rad/nerad, vec govori nesto o toj 
praksi - uvodi razdelne linije na telu umetnosti-kao-ideologije koje su cesto i 
same linije "klasne borbe unutar umetnosti". 

Kroz primere, analize, dramaturgije dogadaja i skice odnosa dodirnuli 
smo tri siroka konceptualna terena na kojma se obavlja umetnicko 
pozicioniranje - teren visoke umetnosti, trzisne umetnosti i kritickih 
umetnickih praksi 23 na koje smo obratili posebnu paznju. 

Koncept visoke umetnosti ili umetnosti comissiona izvorno je nastao kao 
aristokratska inveneija koja je nasla svoje nove iteraeije u modernistickom 
esteticizmu i formalizmu. U kejnzijanskim drzavama blagostanja XX veka 
visoka umetnost je figurirala u drzavnom ideoloskom aparatu 24 kao 
organizovani prostor autonomije (takozvana relativna autonomija umetnosti ) 
i bila je suprotstavljena alternativnoj kulturi (kao kritickoj margini drustva) i 
popularnoj kulturi (cesto izjednacavanoj sa kulturnim industrijama) 25 . Njena 
vezanost za pojmove kao sto su javnost, politika ili drzava, a ponekad i 
drustvo (u socijalistickim uredenjima), najcesce je podrazumevala veze sa 
dominantnom javnoscu, odnosno "javnoscu klase na vlasti" koja se u 
razlicitim porecima menjala, bas kao sto se menjala i sama umetnost. 

Koncept trzisne kulture ili trzisno-orijentisane umetnosti se javlja kao 
alternativa akademskom diktatu, pre svega diktatu francuske i britanske 
Akademije i njihovom produkeionom aparatu ustanovljenom na modelu 
umetnosti comissiona, odnosno narucenih radova. Umetnost, kao vec kao 
ustanovljena (institucionalizovana) praksa, stupa u ugovorni odnos sa 
kapitalom i odgovara na trzisne potraznje pod parolom oslobodene 
individualnosti. Koncept umetnosti kao stvari individualnog ukusa donela je 
gradanska klasa burzoazije u usponu, emancipujuci se od javnosti, politike i 
drzave ciju je ideologiju u datom istorijskom trenutku diktirala aristokratija i 
kler. Danas je ovaj koncept dominantan modus egzistencije umetnosti koji u 
najboljem smislu odrazava logiku poretka 7:99. 

Konacno, koncept kriticke umetnosti 26 se suprotstavio ovom binarnom 
paru visoke umetnosti i umetnickog trzista. Kriticka umetnicka praksa se 
razvila iz doktrine samorefleksije i samokritike umetnickog sistema, sveta 
umetnosti (kako bi to rekao Danto) ili umetnosti-kao-institucije (kako je to 
formulisao Peter Burger 27 , oslanjajuci se na iskustvo istorijskih avangardi). 
Jedan od glavnih ciljeva kriticke umetnosti bio je taj da se, kroz kritiku 
institueije umetnosti stvorene u liberalnom gradanskom drustvu, umetnost 
vrati u zivotnu i drustvenu praksu, vracajuci se samim tim i na pitanja modusa 
proizvodnje i potrosnje, u smislu uvida koji u to polje daje politicka ekonomija i 
marksisticka teorija umetnosti 28 . Razlicite avangardisticke politike negaeije i 
provokaeije institueije umetnosti u razlicitim kontekstima i situaeijama, 


"Administracija estetike" ili podzemni tokovi ugovaranja 
umetnickog posla izmedu ljubavi i novca, novca i ljubavi 

Jelena Vesic 


Frakcija #68/69 

Umjetnost i novae 


25 


koji su delovali u domenu 
modernistickog formalizma 
imali politicke i drustveno 
utopijske aspiraeije, najcesce 
vezane za koegzistenciju 
univerzalizma moderne 
umetnosti i anticipirane 
univerzalne ljudske 
emancipacije. 

26 Proliferisani termin kriticka 
umetnost verovatno danas malo 
toga znaci jer se svaka umetnost 
predstavlja kao pomalo kriticka i 
pomalo politicka u regulisanom 
domenu "prikladnih" i 
"moderatnih" zahteva. Medutim, 
bez obzira na ovu proliferaeiju 
zelela bih da re-claimujem ovaj 
termin u smislu istorijskog 
kontinuiteta kritickih 
umetnickih praksi kao 
kontinuiteta tacaka prekida, 
rezova i preloma sa nekom od 
dominantnih tendeneija u 
konkretnom istorijskom 
trenutku i konkretnim 
okolnostima. Tu kritika ne mora 
da znaci samo negaeiju kao 
takvu, vec i negaeiju kao drugu 
stranu afirmaeije necega sto 
nikada ranije nije afirmisano. 

27 Peter Burger, Teorija avangarde 
(Beograd: Narodna knjiga, 1998 
[ 1974 ])- 

28 Ovaj povratak na moduse 
proizvodnje, kako to navodi 
Terry Smith, sluzi razlikovanju 
"prirodnih procesa formaeije 
minerala" od "mehanickih 
procesa proizvodnje" koji 
zapravo pokazuju da je 
proizvodnja ultimatno pitanje 
kulturnog razvoja, razvoja u 
drustvenoj organizaeiji. Takode, 
Smith obraca paznju na 
specificni modus operandi 
umetnosti koji se tice kako 
nacina proizvodnje, tako i 
proizvodnje nacina npr. u slucaju 
pojave istorijskog realizma XIX 
veka - proizvodnjom istina o 
drustvenim odnosima 
proizvodnje. Vidi: Terry Smith, 
"Modes of Production" u Critical 
Terms for Art History, ur. Robert 
S. Nelson i Richard Shift 
(Chicago: University of Chicago 
Press, 1996). 

29 Marina Vishmidt i Anthony lies 
"Uposli sve sto ti dode pod 
ruku", Umetnik/ca u (ne)radu 
(Novi Sad: kuda.org i MSUV, 

2012) i "Make Whichever You 
Find Work", http://www.variant. 
0rg.uk/41texts/ilesvishmidt41. 


pokusavale su da izgrade i odbrane jednu novu i drugadju javnost. Kroz 
propitivanje forme i konteksta pojavljivanja, kroz propitivanje odnosa sadrzaja, 
forme i organizaeije, kriticka umetnost je cesto vracala u fokus pitanja 
umetnickog rada u razlicitim oblicima. U istorijskom razvoju umetnosti XX i 
XXI veka susretali smo se sa razlicitim manifestaeijama ideoloske interveneije 
u polje stvaranja ( creatio ) kroz koncepte umetnika-radnika, radnika-kao- 
umetnika/stvaraoca, kroz parolu "svako je umetnikl", kroz koncept umetnosti 
kao svakodnevnog zivota ili svakodnevni zivot kao umetnost. 

Medutim, sta se danas desava ako se vratimo na pojam umetnika- 
radnika i pocnemo da mislimo umetnost kao rad? 

S jedne strane, ulazak u polje samodefinisanja putem deklaracije "ja sam 
kulturni radnik/radnica" predstavlja takticku operaeiju, borbeni mobilizaeijski 
poziv prekarizovanom kognitarijatu u susretu sa neoliberalnim procesima 
razgradnje drustvene sfere i socijalne drzave, te slanja na trziste svega sto se 
moze. Red "jasam kulturni radnik/ica", znaci ponovno prisvajanje lingvistike 
slomljenog soeijalizma za potrebe egzistencijalne borbe kulturnjaka koji su se 
nasli na pozieiji tehnickih viskova, bas kao i mnogi drugi industrijski i socijalni 
radnici koji su izgubili svoje mesto u opstem prestruktuiranju privrede, 
ekonomije i politike po neoliberalnom diktatu. "Ja sam kulturni radnik" 
oznacitelj je kulturnjacke solidarnosti sa savremenom radnickom klasom koja 
ima za posledicu aktivno poricanje ideologije umetnosti i kanona stvaranja. 
Takva deklarativna de-auratizaeija umetnicke i intelektualne posebnosti 
predstavlja pokusaj da se skrene paznja na to da je umetnicko i intelektualno 
bavljenje takode i pre svega rad koji zavreduje drustveno priznanje i 
materijalnu kompenzaeiju. 

S druge strane, opozieija umetnik-genije vs. kulturni radnik upravo 
akcentuje procep izmedu autonomije umetnosti i heteronomije rada, procep 
izmedu "etericne egzistencije" umetnika koji stvara iz ljubavi i (drustvenih) 
ideala i kulturnog radnika/ice koji su uronjeni u materijalnost egzistencije i 
stvaraju potaknuti spoljasnjim faktorom - zaradom i platom. Paradoksalno, 
red da je umetnost=rad i biti kulturni radnik, olako je pristajanje na zaborav 
svih velikih snova o autonomiji i slobodi u zamenu za malo sigurne 
egzistencije ovde i sada. Sta znaci biti kulturni radnik u kapitalistickim 
drustvenim odnosima? Stvaralacki rob? Slobodoumni najamnik? Prihvatanje 
kapitalistickog rada i principa uposli sve sto ti dode pod ruku 29 kako su to 
pokazali Marina Vishmidt i Anthony lies upravo je oblik afirmaeije 
savremenog trzisnog ekspanzionizma. Red "ja sam kulturni radnik" znacilo bi 
isto sto i "ja nisam umetnik-drustveni parazit" 30 , neku vrstu konfirmaeije 
putem negaeije ili bumerang efekta neoliberalne dijade utilitarnost-visak. 
Cinicki - sistem bi mogao odgovoriti "ako si radnik - prodaj se, radi pa 
zaradi", ako su druge industrije zatvorene, barem su kulturne industrije 
otvorene - "primeni svoju radnicko-zanatsku kreativnost, uposli se u 
industriji"... 

Ima neceg u bezinteresnosti sto kapitalizmu vrlo smeta, ali to svakako 
ne znaci povratak istoj borbi za autonomiju umetnosti koju su zapodnjali 
prosvetitelji, filozofi idealizma i utemeljivaci akademija. U svakom slucaju, 
interesantno je zapaziti da paradoksalna borba kulturnih radnika priziva sliku 
buduceg drustva kao "drustva radnika", dok se u revolucionarnim situaeijama 
XX veka upravo se sanjalo o "drustvu umetnika". Otud i dramaturgije para- 
ugovornih konverzaeija koje su bile tema ovog teksta manifestuju 
mnogobrojne sizme, nervoze, kontradikeije, htenja i frustraeije savremenih 
aktera sveta umetnosti, zatocenih poput glasova u glavi usled nabrekle (ne) 
moguenosti samorealizaeije. 


26 


"Administracija estetike" ili podzemni tokovi ugovaranja 
umetnickog posla izmedu ljubavi i novca, novca i ljubavi 

Jelena Vesic 


Frakcija #68/69 

Umjetnost i novae 


html [pristupljeno 3 . septembra 
2014.]. 

30 U jeku budzetskih rezova upravo 
je autonomija umetnosti 
odrezana. U najekstremnijim 
diskusijama, u holandskom 
kontekstu, kultura i umetnost su 
proglaseni "parazitima postenog 
radnog naroda koji placa takse 
drzavi". Vidi: Jack Segbars, "The 
Dutch Situation", 10. februar 
2014., http://www.platformbk. 
nl/2014/02/the-dutch- 
situation- 2 /?lang=en 
[pristupljeno 3 . septembra 
2014 .]. 


Za otvoren kraj - jedna istinita anegdota koja tvrdnju da novae 
predstavlja stid stvaranja ozvanicava i izvodi kroz paradoksalni spoj cinickog 
konceptualima i taktickog funkeionalizma. Nakon dugogodisnje nelagode 
pred borbom za sopstvena radnicka i egzistencijalna prava dok se prica o 
lepim i kreativnim umetnickim stvarima, umetnik X iz zapadne Evrope 
konacno dolazi do "solomonskog resenja". On daje formu ovoj potmuloj sizmi 
tako sto kreira fiktivni lik svoje menadzerke Y sa e-mail nalogom i poreklom u 
jugoistocnoj Evropi. Umetnik X govori samo o stvaranju, menadzerka Y govori 
samo o noveu. Svakako ista osoba stoji iza oba email naloga, simultano 
delegirajuci zadatke svojoj "uzvisenoj" ili "banalnoj" polovini i istupajuci po 
potrebi velikodusno ili restriktivno, uzivljeno u sadrzaje ili uzivljeno u 
produkcijske potrebe, u borbi za ideje ili u borbi za novae i egzistenciju. 
Anegdota je manje zanimljiva u pravcu zgodnog nacina za "skidanje grehova 
interesa" sa "bezinteresne idejnosti", vec vise u pravcu rodnog, geopolitickog i 
ideolosko-umetnickog situiranja sizme u jednom telu i na "pravom mestu". Ta 
sizma potvrduje pravilo daje pravi umetnik danas samo onaj umetnik koji 
moze reci: "Za ostalo se obratite mom menadzeru". 


"Administration of aesthetics" or on underground 
currents of negotiating artistic jobs 

Jelena Vesic 


Frakcija #68/69 

Art & Money 


27 


"Administration 
of aesthetics" or 
on underground 
currents of 
negotiating artistic 
jobs; between love 
and money, money 
and love 

Jelena Vesic 

Translated from Serbian by Mima Herman 


"Paint what you love and love what you paint" 
Tom Roberts, 1890 

V our money or your life!" - was a threat or a 
false pick that the 19 th century bandits, just 
about the time when Roberts wrote his credo, 
used with unguarded passengers on 
picturesque English countryside roads or in the 
wilderness of British colonies. A different 
linguistic plot for this potentially lethal choice 
might be something like: "your love or your 
money!" - in which case the selection with equally surprising effect is put 
before contemporary passengers, before a caravan of mobile and flexible 
"culture workers". The meaning of this blackmail in the domain of cultural 
production finds its roots far back in history but, as we are about to see, it is 
never explicitly nominated or pronounced remaining implicit and suggested. 

In this overview we will try to analyse different ways in which the 
concepts of "love" and "money" inhabit the context of production and 



28 


"Administration of aesthetics" or on underground 
currents of negotiating artistic jobs 

Jelena Vesic 


Frakcija #68/69 

Art & Money 


oi The norm of love of art is derived 
from the Plato's concept of love 
(love of philosophy) as 
transcendescence of human 
existance through self- 
realization, self-improvement, 
knowledge, creation, thinking, 
aspiration to immortality. See: 
Plato, The Symposium (London: 
Penguin Books, 1999). 

02 See: Arthur Danto, "The 
Artworld" (1964) Journal of 
Philosophy LXI, pp. 571 - 584 . 

03 ibid, p. 582. 


interpretation of art. In their complex and often violent interplay this 
dialectics of passionate and lethal embrace allows for a discussion about 
historically dense relationship between the autonomy of art and heteronomy 
of labour, as well as various ideological structures of new-old blackmails 
contained in the binomial love vs. money operating within this domain. 
Nevertheless, people producing artistic content encounter such choices 
every day. 

In our case love will appear in a very specific and linguistically very 
heterogeneous form - as an idea or as an ideal, also as historical and human 
responsibility, the essence of what we tend to recognize as "spirit", or even as 
"soul itself", as the ultimate meaning and validation of human nature. The 
concept of love, in this sense, results from Platonic norm of love of art' and 
continues evolving in various directions of aesthetic idealism, all the way to 
the issue of social responsibility of a public intellectual, socially useful work or 
public good. In a contemporary, flexible and self-organized context of 
content production love plays a key role in a different way - as the field of 
transactions in the domain of emotional affects or a post-Fordian currency 
for friendship and social capital. 

On the other hand, concept of money emerges as an empty place of 
speech, as something making that non-productive (artistic) labour stutter. 
Money is hiding behind representation of art; it is uneasiness itself and to 
mention it in this context is nothing but "mercantile kitsch" that is allegedly 
at odds with any true artistic intent, political responsibility and social 
engagement. However, as opposed to many incarnations of the concept of 
love, i.e. linguistic, logical and semantic, it seems that "money" is an actor 
entirely insensitive to context and transformation of all those relations. In 
other words, while Mr. Money tends to anonymity and invisibility, Miss Love 
remains in the spotlight and on stage, trying to disguise, frequently changing 
its masks and wardrobe. 

It is precisely this interplay or "dance of language" that allows the 
situation to invite its analysis from the perspective of terminology, definition, 
nominalization and communication practices by means of reconstruction of 
various struggles and pacts it has with the logic of capitalism. This apparently 
dynamic but actually rather consistent interaction takes place within a broad 
and expansive field of art - for the actors in this field, contemporary life is 
marked with nominalization of key words and phrases, tag cloud mentality 
and the quantity of communication turning all its actors into "linguistic 
animals", formed and limited by the linguistic matrix. 


Prologue: why do you say "Money" and mean "Spirit"? Why do you 
say "Spirit" and mean "Money"? 

In The Artworld by Arthur Danto, a text that can be considered a turning point 
in relation to classical and modern discourses on art connected with the 
theory of imitation (mimesis), the truth and the meaning of art lie in the 
institutional consensus that separates the ordinary world from the world of 
art 2 : 

"The artworld stands to the real world in something like the relationship 
in which the City of Cod stands to the Earthly City. Certain objects, like 
certain individuals, enjoy a double citizenship, but there remains, the RT 
notwithstanding, a fundamental contrast between artworks and real 
objects." 3 


"Administration of aesthetics" or on underground 
currents of negotiating artistic jobs 

Jelena Vesic 


Frakcija #68/69 

Art & Money 


29 


04 Andrea Fraser wrote about the 
internalization of the 
institutional apparatus and 
biopolitical understanding of 
institutions in From the Critique 
of institutions to an Institution of 
Critique Artforum, 44.1 (2005), 
pp. 278-285. 

05 Danto underlines the issue of 
recognition, distinction and not 
so much the issue of economy 
and status of goods that are in 
the focus of this text: "To see 
something as art requires 
something the eye cannot decry 

- an atmosphere of artistic 
theory, a knowledge of the 
history of art: an artworld.", 
Danto, "The Artworld", p. 580. 

06 There is something blatant in 
Andy Warhol's Brillo Boxes - that 
repetitive and reproductive 
creation of series of objects, 
very similar to factory making 
with an element of 
aesthetization or, as Benjamin 
said, "auratization" - with an 
approach from, of course, 
cynical side of "aura" which 
equalizes spirit, love and money 

- functions as the artist's brutal 
comment on the production of 
artistic values in the era of 
optimism linked to capitalist 
consumer society (Warhol 
dedicated many of his works to 
fetishist character of money). 
Paradoxically, and with the 
same brutality and cynism, 
nowadays, in the era of political 
and economic pessimism the 
dominant discourse of 
contemporary art seems to go 
back to the old arguments 
related to spirituality, grandeur 
and relevance of creativity, 
overshadowing money and 
putting capitalist relations aside. 

07 The concept of ideology of art or 
art-as-ideology originally 
belongs to Coran Oordevic, 
former artist, active on the 
territory of former Yugoslavia 
and internationally in the period 
1973-1985. ForDordevic, 
ideology of art is characterized 
by concepts such as creation, 
genius, autorship, originality, 
uniqueness and distinctiveness 
resulting from "religious 
consciousness". As opposed to 
art practice as the reflexion of 
religious consciousness, 
Dordevic's (counter-) artistic 
works are based in negation of 
creation through exploration, 


At the first glance, alike the anachronisms of idealistic philosophy, 

Danto initially lays down the foundations of what art is to be, which he 
defines as "the world", certainly - in the spirit of the 1960s art and 
philosophy, not the world for itself but the world which positions itself in 
relation to and in dialogue with life, society and institutional and human 
constellations. Danto's "world" is bringing together the three historical 
moments - establishing of the Academy of art, emerging of aesthetics as the 
independent sphere, and of forming the institutions of art in both senses: as 
ideological state apparatuses and as the networks of interpersonal 
relationships, interactions, historical dialogues 4 . What appears to be relevant 
for the development of contemporary art, for which Danto's text and its 
consequences may be the reference point or interface, is not a reformist 
approach to the idealistic philosophy, or a duplication or separation of the 
worlds. Instead, Danto does not interpret that duplication as a product of a 
particular ontology of art, but as an institutional agreement generating the 
modes of production, meaning, interpretation and communication, even the 
market value of art. Danto does not address any other implications in his 
text, but the theory and practice of contemporary art will demonstrate the 
unfixed and flexible character of this world - its expansion and power of 
assimilation, its gaps and leakages into reality, and its osmotic connection to 
societal realities. 

What is the impact of "the duplication of worlds" on the object of art 
and its market form? Danto takes the example of the difference between the 
Brillo Box authorised (branded) by Warhol and the Brillo box produced by the 
detergent factory of the same name 5 . In fact, the difference between 
production of art and mass-production established herein 6 draws a dividing 
line between "sacredness" (eternal life) of artwork and "profanity" of mass- 
produced goods, the meaning of which is totally exhausted in market 
economy. The institution (or the world) of art may transform the artist into a 
powerful, yet tragic, figure, not unlike that of King Midas, who turns anything 
he touches into gold, only for this miraculous gift to boomerang on him (with 
King Midas, the punishment of "the divine gift" leads to too much gold and 
too little life, whereas in the artist's case - it leads to too much "spirit" and 
too little money or pay). The institution of art appropriates the divine 
prerogative of creation as its own, at the same time using that same 
prerogative to open up space for denying something, i.e. material body (the 
artist's life), his or her relationship with the real world etc. and this is 
something that critical art practice would file under artistic work (or artist's 
labour) or the social function of art. Within the concept of creation and 
creativity, as the key element of the ideology of art 7 , the work is replaced by 
free and almighty flow of inspiration that is the hallmark of a artist-genius - 
accordingly, the outcome of this free process (read: the work of art) is solely 
defined by immunity or the author's trademark, uniqueness and singularity. 
And precisely in the concepts of authorship or originality in the contrast 
between the divine attribute of creation ( creatio ) and worldly production 
(productio ) lies the ideological opposition between arts and goods, which has 
been constantly and confidently perpetuated by the institution of art. For 
this very reason, mercantile character of art has always been a neuralgic 
point, unease itself, something that has always been a dead end for 
aesthetics and history of art. 

In the contemporary "Enterprise Culture" art has never been 
represented as a market, not even when it has been nominally, legally and 
institutionally constituted as the market. Let us take the example of very 


30 


"Administration of aesthetics" or on underground 
currents of negotiating artistic jobs 

Jelena Vesic 


Frakcija #68/69 

Art & Money 


negation of originality due to 
copies, negation of autorship 
through anonimity. See: Coran 
Dordevic, "Umetnost kao oblik 
religiozne svesti" (Art as a Form 
of Religious Conciousness), 
Oktobar 75 (Beograd: SKC,ig75) 
and Coran Dordevic, "On the 
Class Character of Art", The Fox, 

3 0976 ), New York. Also, 
Branislav Dimitrijevic, "(Ne) 
moguci umetnik: o 
nestvaralackim istrazivanjima 
Gorana Dordevica" and Jelena 
Vesic "Igrati na terenu 
umetnosti, ne biti karakter u 
prici, govoriti pozajmljenim 
glasom", Against Art, Coran 
Dordevic - Copies (1979-1985), 
exhibition catalogue (Belgrade: 
Museum of Contemporary Art, 
2014). 

08 Very often in the stands in the 
galleries selling works of art 
disguised in curated rooms it is 
impossible to discern markets 
with exclusive objects bearing 
price tags. The price is never 
there, not even if a particular 
work of art has been sold. If that 
is the case, the object is marker 
with a subtle, coloured dot to be 
noticed only by those for whom 
this piece of information is 
intended. For everyone else, this 
might be just another mega 
exhibition of contemporary art. 


popular contemporary art fairs such as The Freeze Art Fair in London, a 
manifestation that without any doubt exhausts its function and meaning in 
art sales and trade although its (self)representation refers to something 
completely different. In function of representation and "experience" this 
manifestation frequently employs vast symbolic capital of communication, 
aesthetization, intellectual work, creativity and, finally, money in order to 
dissuade visitors, art lovers, collectors and even the actors of this operation, 
at least for a moment, that it is all just about money, goods and trade. Brand 
new ambience commissioned for the occasion guarantees "new" and 
different experience where visitors are invited to enter a maze of gallery 
stands: such stands are much more than that - they are curated rooms with 
exhibition concepts and carefully designed atmospheres. 8 Education and 
entertainment are also part of this, i.e. there are numerous lectures, 
discussions, promotions of books and magazines, VIP and open parties, self- 
organized presentations (and sales) of young artists' works, advertised and 
unadvertised performances, actions, curator initiatives, counter-fairs and 
alternative fairs and so on and so on. This assembly of various art events, this 
scenography of "spirit", makes an uninterrupted continuum of camouflage 
that is positioning art market operations behind the scene and outside of the 
visible domain. 

With this "game of hide and seek" involving labour and money with the 
aid of even more money and investments various culture industries transfer a 
distanced reflex of "truths" rooted in modern aesthetics and history of art, 
seeking in them their own legitimization, no matter how absurd and 
paradoxical this venture might seam. Lessons on distinction between high art 
and its public function on the one hand and commercial art as the synonym 
for low on the other had been provided by the 18 th century Academy and that 
heritage has more or less played a constitutive function for the institution of 
art in all it later stages of (self)transformation. Ever since Vasari's calls for 
perfection in art that is alienated from any other form of production and 
Winckelmann's postulate on "noble simplicity and quiet grandeur" connecting 
antiquity and modernity as well as Diderot's review of the Paris Salon in 1767 
as "corruption of taste by luxury" where he nominated "money destroying 
beaux arts" there is one thing that stands out - the Industrial Revolution, 
emergence of bourgeoisie and placing art at the core of capitalist relations, 
that is the establishment of a direct link between money and taste was 
confronted with systematic resistance in the framework of emerging 
institution of art. How has "true art" historically managed to divorce from 
money? All trade or production of art defined by demand was simply 
equalized with decorative arts from which it wanted to detach. In ideological 
but also in very practical sense, the academic system served to liberate art 
from medieval associations of guilds, which, in our case means liberation from 
the immediate purpose of "luxurious decoration". Joshua Reynolds, one of the 
founders of the British Academy, observed that art attributes as "intellectual 
dignity... that ennobles the painter's art" and "draws a line between him and 
pure mechanic who does not produce art but mere ornament". Thus the 
institution of art at the moment of constituting the aesthetical as a separate 
sphere establishes the attributes of uniqueness, originality and authorship 
introducing a difference between high art and commercial culture of luxury 
craftsmanship (or art as the expression of commercial culture). 

In such contrasting, antagonistic and variable attempts to remove 
money, labour and labour relations from the stage of art representation, 
there are obvious consensual efforts to explain that art cannot be 


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31 


09 Buchloh actually talks about 
artistic intervention in the filed 
of institutional revealing the 
very mechanisms and politics 
behind this representational 
field - instead of exhibiting 
theme works, objects, 
something created previously, 
what is being exhibited is the 
intervention in the given and 
complex institutional 
constelation where the artist is 
found. In such aesthetical 
domain art embraces the tools 
of bureaucracy: paperwork, 
documentation, work with 
advertisments and other papers 
- only to use them against the 
representative and repressive 
(institutional) apparatus 
producing the criteria for 
evaluation, aesthetical 
confirmation and introduction 
of values. Historical moment in 
art described and articulated by 
Buchloh also represents a 
moment in which he 
linguistically and politically 
reaches a certain turnabout in 
the field of artistic production - 
the paradigm of piece of art is 
replaced by the paradigm of 
work of art... or the artist's work. 
See: Benjamin Buchloh, 
"Conceptual Art 1962-1969: 

From the Aesthetics of 
Administration to the Critique of 
Institutions", October, 55 (1999), 
pp. 105-143. 

10 By all means, productional form 
is always established as a kind of 
response to, as Althusser said, a 
call "hey, you" of the (dominant) 
ideology. Therefore, 
productional form is by no 
means some exterior, previously 
constituted rule existing outside 
of the practice itself, but rather 
the manifestation of 
productional form co-exists 
with its inception within the 
very practice. 

11 Classical, legally binding 
agreements rarely appear in the 
contemporary world of art, or, if 
they do appear, this happens 
only after everything has been 
done. Legally binding 
agreements in art and culture 
have a life of their own; they are 
autonomous in relation to 
negotiable reality in which 
works of art actually come to 
life. In that sense, they are 
separated from life as well - 
they are born dead and their 
only purpose or aim is to remain 


understood as business as usual, as labour or work - but rather as something 
completely different. At this point, money appears as creative shame. 


Administration of aesthetics and its dramaturgy 

However, what happens with the transfers of love and money, if we are to try 
- from the perspective of contemporary art - to approach the very 
production apparatus, the terrain of everyday life where various practices of 
administration of aesthetics take place? What will we find if we try to get 
closer to economic reality of "workers" active in the ever expanding "world of 
art" in all its domains of (self-)critical negations, transformations, excesses, 
inclusions and exclusions only to focus on the very moment when projects 
and collaborations come to life? How does art-as-ideology inhabit speech 
used on such occasions? 

The term administration of aesthetics has been forged for such needs as 
an allusion to or inversion of Buchloh's term aesthetics of administration; the 
inversion in terms of difference between the exhibition mode or the moment 
when art is presented (on which Buchloh focuses) and the process that 
precedes it, i.e. agreements, negotiations, communication, all those things 
that have been categorized as too banal and therefore set behind "the stage" 
for exhibiting and presenting art. At the time, Buchloh's aesthetics of 
administration emerged from subversive appropriations of bureaucratic and 
institutional forms in conceptual art practices of the 1960s and 1970s, better 
known as the art of institutional critique . 9 In analogy with labour negotiations, 
which are the focus of this paper, the term was introduced to mark art which 
reveals the relations of production, pacts and deals that are usually covered 
up, eluded or decorated with the experience of "real art". 

How are modes of production established by the means of speech and 
communication? How do individual actors position themselves in their role of 
employers or employees? Unofficial, paralegal agreements on art production, 
often founded in peer-to-peer bases, figure as dominant forms of 
negotiation about "the delivery" of content or participation in various 
cultural events. We can even say that production forms find their sources 
precisely in this para-legality and one-on-one relationship 10 , whereas 
institutional "officialdom", mobilization of the representative apparatus, legal 
verification of the agreement - all this represents mere administrative 
confirmation of something that has already happened, which has been 
concluded and which served its function 11 . 

Dramaturgy of the whole process of contracting works of art mainly 
relates to the field already operated by protagonists who live at the bottom 
of the economic ladder of the "Enterprise culture" - freelance writers, guest 
lecturers, experimental curators, critically oriented visual artists, left wing 
intellectuals, alternative theatre companies, independent critiques, essayists, 
in other words, all those who are answering to various institutional calls (to 
be more precise, those who produce content for institutions, or, which is a 
relatively new phenomenon, who work in place of institutions). We will 
dramatize characteristic communication involving authors or culture workers 
who collaborate in various self-organized initiatives behind the curtains of 
immediate production of glamour and success - those subjects that Gregory 
Sholette calls dark matter 12 in the sense of their voluntary (political) decision 
to leave the place with the most exposure and immediate connection with 
the "star system" and market demands. 


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in institutional or bureaucratic 
archives (as post festum 
legitimation and not 
actualization). This very fact 
explains that there are certain 
problems related to 
understanding art as work and, 
consequently (and especially so) 
paid work. 

12 Gregory Sholette, Dark Matter: 
Art and Politics in the Age of 
Enterprise Culture (London: Pluto 
Press, 2on). 

13 It is also important to note that 
positions A and B remain fixed 
and unchangeable only in the 
framework of the predefined 
institutional relations in force 
within the system of the so- 
called social or welfare state, 
whereas in the times of of 
projects, collaborations and 
flexible work, positions A and B 
can be very easily exchanged 
and altered. In that case, we are 
no longer talking about a pair 
composed of two elements and 
univocal relationship between 
the two, but rather about the 
entire chain of production and 
art creation ranging from 
macroeconomic policies to 
individual stakeholders. 

14 The notion of chain of 
equivalence and chain of 
difference is explained in 
Hegemony and Socialist Strategy 
by Ernesto Laclau and Chantal 
Mouffe (London: Verso, 1985). 

15 In the first "case” stakeholders 
come to such positions through 
passive internalization of 
idealistic aesthetic, although 
most examples of project-based 
work and sometimes even some 
exchanged money (proudly 
avoided, erased and suppressed 
in conversation) serves for pure 
reproduction of life far from any 
kind of profit. 

16 Examples in speech found in this 
text are a product of 
dramaturgical research and 
close empirical encounter with 
various culture workers rather 
than "objective" scientific 
methods of research in 
sociology and anthropology. 
Scientific research methods 
involving tables, questionnaires, 
target questions as well as other 
forms of standardization 
together with alienated 
relations between the 


In this "adventure" of going down to the field of production or a kind of 
scenario overview where every similarity with real actors is intentional, the 
accent will be put on several types of para-contractual relations, in which the 
relations between "love" and "money", "play" and "labour" become apparent 
in the speech registry. 

Although such arrangements are para-legal and unofficial and imply 
talks and negotiations behind which, in most cases, there are no contracts 
signed between the two parties, in terms of the process and verbal practice 
there are two dominant players: the One who calls (A) and the Other who is 
being called (B ). 13 


1. PARADE OF LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, OR NOBILITY WITHOUT 
PROTECTION 

The title might come in handy to illustrate the conversational atmosphere in 
which the "world of art" is observed as something isolated from the outside 
world and even existence itself (the artist's life). In such atmosphere there is 
a presumption about chains of equivalence 14 based in mutual love for creation 
and knowledge, so that business relations between A and B are intentionally 
"erased" from speech. The presumption A (and sometimes even B) is that the 
biggest ideal in art is actually "to create out of ideal" and that "we" (always, in 
that case, "we") are driven only by ideas and idealism and never by money 
(which could, in this case, be understood as "interest"). On the one hand, 
creative work is perceived either as a natural urge and emanation of talent, 
or as a spontaneous manifestation of civic or social responsibility of public 
intellectuals - almost as some kind of biological growth or metabolic process 
of creative personae. On the other hand, the word "money" is perceived as 
something dirty and (although, in most cases, no one has ever questioned 
receiving compensation for one's work; quite the opposite. However, the 
issue of proper pay is in this case something unconsciously presumed)... 
"Dirtiness" and "ugliness" related to the perception of money also results 
from paradoxical fact that words such as "amount", "compensation", 

"author's fees" and "expenses" come down to some sort of financial gain (or 
cupidity, or maybe even, and let us be very silent about it, -- some "profit"), 
which true art supposedly surpasses. 15 

Examples in speech : 16 

A - Would you like us to do ...; I have a great idea for... Will you join me ...; 
We officially inform you were chosen to .... The date is this and this ...; I 
am calling you to write a text for me, you are the only one who can do 
rt; You are invited to give a lecture there and there, then and then; I 
started a project - I only want to do this with you ...; 

Bi - (a person who accepts the game unreservedly)... Please, let's not talk all 
the time about budget issues - this should be left to managers - let's 
talk about the content - this is why we are here, writing should not be a 
profession ; I do not want to talk about money, I am not doing this for 
money, I am doing this because I am interested in it ... and then, if 
something comes out of it - good; However, I would do this in any case , 
because I believe the matter is important in itself . 


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researcher and the surveyee 
together with the lack of 
reference to the topic, the 
exterior, objective position of 
the researcher are purposely 
avoided. Such research position 
is herein interior, emphatic and 
empirical and all individual 
experiences are generalized 
through multiannual extensive 
and intensive dialogue with 
different colleagues and friends 
sharing same, similar or 
different experiences. I would 
like to thank for their comments 
to the Kontekst collective, the 
Uzbuna initiative, the WHW 
curator collective, the TKH 
collective, Bojana Piskur, Vesna 
Vukovic, Vladimir Jeric, Zorana 
Dojic, Radmila Joksimovic, 
Svebor Midzic, Mirjana 
Dragosavljevic, Darinka Pop- 
Mitic, Andrej Dolinka, Dejan 
Vasic, Jelena Petrovic, everyone 
who has participated in 
discussions about the intiative 
called "the other scene". Engine 
room project at the Cultural 
Center Rex, the Workers Inquiry 
in Reina Sofia project and David 
Berge. 


B2 - (a person who still tries to make a living, but not to question certain 
"unspeakable" issues thereby)... Thank you a lot for your invitation - 
could you tell me about some organizational details ; I like the idea a lot, 
but I am also interested in hearing about the exact plans regarding the 
production : I would really love to do this - is it possible for me to find 
out more about the whole project ... 

The rhetoric of the inviter - the initiator, the undertaker, the project manager 
or the institutional representative - displays a discourse of intimacy, 
relationship erotisation flattering tributes and praises are spoken (like, have 
an idea, join, be officially chosen, be invited, be special, be unique...). At first 
glance, such invitation can easily be replaced by an invitation for playing, 
having fun, hanging out, an affair... As if the topic were spending free time 
together, and not working. Understandable, such rhetoric nurtures the idea 
of the specificity of the "world of art" and "love for creating and knowledge", 
the other side of which can only be the banality of the brutal capitalism and 
the motif for profit making. 

The rhetoric of the invited content providers, Bi and B2, will 
differentiate from one another, although they will both nominally reflect 
accepting the noble aristocratic game of the disinterestedness and such 
gentleman-ladylike agreement. A person who refuses to engage in "vulgar" 
economical and organizational aspects of creative work, and is willing to talk 
only about noble matters concerning sense and content, probably enjoys the 
"luxury" of being situated in an institution, receiving a regular payment, or 
has some other (perhaps family) background enabling him/her not to live 
from his/her own work exclusively. The second voice also accepts this 
hegemonic discourse, although the person standing behind it is obviously 
someone (trying) to make a living through his/her work, someone who cares 
about the precise production parameters, in order to incorporate them into 
the "production line" of their living-work-time-self-sustainability costs. 
Regarding such "B2 person", the rule says they will, almost without exception, 
decide to (once again) make peace with their well-known destiny of 
volunteer professionalism, although the answer to their rude question "how 
much?" will often be "well, nothing". 


2. TRIPARTITE LETTER - SHORT RECKONINGS MAKE LONG FRIENDS 
(closed code vs. open code) 

At the moment, the tripartite letter format slowly naturalizing as a canonical 
form of conversation about the art work usually involves the shorter or 
longer information blocks: 

— Information on the content/scope of the project. 

— Information on the nature and scope of involvement, place and time of 
the content "delivery". 

— Information on the fee. 

While in the first case of the gentleman-ladylike agreement we encounter 
constant discomfort in phraseological, and sometimes also inventive tries to 
leave out the word "money", in the case of the tripartite letter we find that 
discomfort originates precisely in the directness of its reference. In this speech 
register there is no mystification of creating, no concealing, no suppression, 
no costuming, and no detour strategies of linguistic politicking. There is, 


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One of the examples of such 
relation would be the so-called 
open call invitations from 
editors for texts in thematic 
editions of glossy art magazines, 
participation in thematic panels, 
specialist publications, etc. 


however, a shock because of the brutal purchasing of something that - as 
history taught us - "is not for sale" or, at least, "cannot be 'pure trading'". 

In a closed code of the tripartite letter para-contractual format, A and B 
are clearly positioned in the field of power - A buys labour or administers a 
"purchase" in the name of the buyer, while B actively operates in the labour 
market and is ready to sell his/her time and expertise. B can be treated either 
as a qualified worker (in culture: specialized for certain subject matters), or as 
an unqualified, or all-qualified worker (in culture: the one replying to general 
and wide-spectrum invitations for creating contents being offered). 17 

Examples of correspondence: 

A - Dear XXX, 

I received your contact details from YYY. Are you interested in writing a 
text concerning the topic of MMM for the ZZZ magazine? Kindly find 
attached the concept (attachment: a brief general description). The text 
should have X - Y words, the length of the text is standard and strictly 
limited. Unfortunately, the deadline is tight - all texts have to be ready 
for layout no later than o.o.i. (date). In case you are interested in 
cooperation, kindly send us the draft of the text you would be writing 
by the end of the week. 

We can provide ooo (the sum) for the author fee, that will be paid a 
month after the volume is published, and this is planned for 6.6.6. (date, 
usually 3-6 months after the text is submitted). 

I hope to hear from you soon, 

XYZ 

Bi (thinking for themselves, or discussing with friends...) - I really prefer 
working for a capitalist. At least everything is clear here - what you see 
is what you get. They exploit clearly and publicly, and not "under the 
table" like state institutions or "our friends". 

B2 (always a sharp commentary) - The thing I hate the most is when 
someone talks to me like this - as if writing a piece of text would be 
twisting screws on the assembly line, as if you would not engage your 
whole mind and body in the process in order to say something, to send 
a message. This is pure intellectual prostitution. Mechanical sex. At least 
in prostitution you get the cash immediately, and here you get it only 
when you forget you ever worked for it. What should this mean - that 
writing a piece of text is not the most important part of magazine 
production? I wonder if they are going to pay the printing house only 
after they sell all the copies... 

The letter written by the person who commissions work establishes relations 
of production that are alienated beforehand. Such relations involve what 
Marx addresses in his early work as "real subsumption", and Camatte and 
Negri address the same issue as "a complete or total subsumption of labour", 
or rather "a total subsumption of society" - standing here for the 
expropriation of workers from the production process and a magical formula 
that will make the value of labour decreasing constantly, while the 
productivity should always increase. "I received your email from XXX" even 
says that B, addressed in this situation by the client who orders labour, was 
not their first choice, but was actually a delegated successor of someone 


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i8 Most often, this will reflect in 
the allocation of large amounts 
of money for equipment, 
promotion and marketing of the 
project, while small amounts of 
money will be used for content 
creation and payment of 
collaborators whose work 
presents the backbone of the 
project. 

ig Here I use the software term 
open code also connected to the 
term open institutionalism, 
referring to more recent 
attempts to reshape cultural 
institutions, common resources, 
and the cultural public sphere in 
an attempt to resist to austerity 
politics or placing the culture on 
the market. See: Tomislav 
Medak, "Open Institutions and 
the Reform of the Cultural 
System", Frakcija, 6o/6i (2011) 
(Artistic Labor in the Age of 
Austerity), pp. 50- 54. Also, 
contributions from the Open 
Institutions Conference http:// 
zagreb.openinstitutions.net. 


more attractive to the labour provider, a subject more intensely tagged on 
the cultural scene, who refused to do the job for some reason, but was kind 
enough to pass it on to someone who they have a friendly relationship with, 
or someone whose expertise they believe in. Having in mind that the draft of 
the text should be sent, so to speak, immediately, this is probably the second, 
third or fourth time the job is being passed on, and the content provider is 
reduced to a replaceable executive instrument of isolated, mechanized, time- 
limited, and somewhat standardized operations. The person who 
commissions work does not address her as an author with a certain oeuvre, a 
defined and constructed profile they wish to place on the market and to 
support, they address her as an intellectually equipped cognitive mechanic 
who needs to fit insinuated, unclear, or extremely vague and undefined 
expectations. Descriptions of concepts and content are brief and general, and 
a cynical observation might conclude that in this sense they receive anything 
other than what they do not receive. It seems here as if it were much more 
important to produce the matter successfully and pack it up as a project, to 
make sure the content gets its attributes defined in contracts, regarding the 
person who orders, produces, sponsors, administers, and "owns" it, than to 
take account of preliminary details of that content. 18 In other words - it 
seems as if these legal documents might exist meaningfully even without 
that one document representing the very text that is ordered. 

On the other hand, in the case of an open code 19 , there is an attempt of 
a differently motivated cooperation that is still primarily based on ideas and 
contents. Such conversation will try to oppose to the hegemonic production 
apparatus and its strictly defined roles through more democratic, interactive 
formats that are more open to a critical thinking. In the open code, A and B 
already are in a kind of comradeship, counted on through a (political) 
friendship and love in "the common good" and "socially engaged contents". 
This comradeship also stands for a mutual understanding and trust regarding 
the organization of the production apparatus, with the aspirations to affect 
the apparatus tactically in the direction of an envisioned transformation or 
change. The para-contractual conversation in the form of a tripartite open- 
code letter is characteristic for the so-called non-profit project sector or - in 
the post-Yugoslav territory - most often for the work of "independent 
cultural protagonists" and the development of what is called "the 
independent cultural scene" - something that, in a broader sense, could be 
recognized as a format of self-organized initiatives and cooperatives with, 
naturally, certain shared socio-political and aesthetic aspirations. 

Examples of correspondence: 

A - Hello, my dear XXX, 

Long time no hear. We finally got the money to realize the ZZZ project I 
told you about last year, remember when we talked in the breaks at the 
BBB conference? The instructions have slightly changed in the 
meantime, because we had to make some adaptations, and to connect 
with YYY after all (project/institution/organization) in order to receive 
an EU grant, but the team is fantastic - you'll see. We managed to make 
a draft of the concept I am sending preliminary - of course, if you have 
any comments, remarks, or similar - they are more than welcome. We 
are really interested in what you have to say about all this, but bear in 
mind that this is still just a draft... We haven't had much time to focus 
so far due to all the bureaucracy, you know how it goes. 


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For a (self-)critical analysis of 
project work and NCO forms 
see: Prelom kolektiv (Dusan 
Crlja and Jelena Vesic), "The 
Neoliberal Institution of Culture 
and the Critique of 
Culturalization", http://eipcp. 
net/transversal/o2o8/prelom/ 
en [accessed 3 September 2014], 


It is suggested that we organize a series of events during November - 
pis let me know if this suits you and what terms you would be able to 
join us. We should know the exact dates within the upcoming weeks, 
and we are contacting many people, who are all "all over the place"... 
You know how things are ... Actually, we can postpone the whole thing 
for as far as the beginning of December, but no longer that that, 
because at the end of December the reports need to be prepared as 
well, uh-huh :). 

Also, we shouldn't forget "what keeps the mankind alive" - we can offer 
fees of ooi (the sum) to our collaborators - they might be small, but at 
least they are coming from the heart:) We are aware this is not much, 
but you are familiar with our working conditions. If you think this is not 
enough, considering the engagement in question, don't hesitate to 
complain, maybe we could do some magic and squeeze some more 
euros from the production, and increase the sum for 50 euros or so ... In 
any case, you can count on standard per diems, friendly meals, dinners 
and good atmosphere ... That isn't that bad either:) 
kind regards and talk to you soon, 
your X 

Here the text of the response sent by B would be mostly a direct reflection of 
text A - accessory and consensual. 

The case of the tripartite letter open code (which is certainly never 
completely open because, for example, it does not put a comprehensive 
insight into the development of the project and budget allocation in the 
common field) reveals two sides of the discourse of love and care: 

On one side, such processes can be perceived from the perspective of 
power, from the recognition of the effects of supra-state ideological 
apparatuses that project work is exposed to (international foundations, 
project networks, etc.), their subordination to totalizing tendencies of a 
neoliberal social order. In that case, such para-contract would mean an 
accessory agreement of A and B to be "beaten" by the hand of humanism (a 
kind of warmer, but also a creepier version of the previous model). This 
extended hand of an "active effort" (regarding the selling of their own labour) 
and "firm bonding" (in friendly forms and contents) is subtly coloured by the 
situation where everything is in the air, in the process, negotiation, 
agreement, flexible arrangement, and yet restrictively defined by the project 
form characterized by a lack of available time, tight deadlines, competitive 
networking, and self-precarisation 20 . In project forms, individuals put 
themselves into cooperation and interdependence, determine and reduce 
their own incomes, while the factor of modern technology speeds up this 
communication and production; the number of projects is increasing, as well 
as the amount of work, while incomes are decreasing or, in the "most 
successful" cases, they remain the same. 

On the other side, individuals have certain autonomy in project 
management - they have the opportunity to intervene in the field where 
"worker does not apply working conditions, but working conditions apply the 
worker", and to convert this classical form of suppression into its opposition. 
A good manager, like a train switchman, is in the position to reroute paths 
and direct the movement/thought/tendency into another direction (let us 
remember the character of a diversionist in partisan movies!). The possibility 
of intervention and action now opens towards a wider community as well, 
and refers to a collectivist, and a more democratic model or approach. Love 


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21 See: Teresa L. Ebert, Alexandra 
Kollontai and Red Love, http:// 
www.solidarity-us.org/site/ 
node/1724 [accessed 3 
September 2014]. 

Certainly, Kollontai linked these 
issues to the question of 
emancipation of women and 
socialization of childcare, but I 
believe the request for a change 
of social relations on the 
"molecular" level of interperso¬ 
nality can be set as a universal 
request - through a transfor¬ 
mation of human consciousness. 

22 See, for instance, the text by 
Stipe Curkovic "Heteronomy of 
Labour/Autonomy of Art" in 
Frakcija, 6o/6i (2011) ("Artistic 
Labor in the Age of Austerity"), 
pp. 50- 54. This valuable and 
exhaustive analysis of human 
labour and social relations from 
Marxist positions obviously 
retains an external view of art 
and artistic practice, 
approaching them from a 
sociological point of view as 
some sort of ahistorical 
phenomenon. In a short review 
of issues concerning artistic 
labour (the last chapter of the 
text, pp. 30-33), Curkovic speaks 
of art as a "block", a monolithic 
structure without internal 
differentiation, historical 
development, class oppositions 
and political struggles. In other 
words, he sees art as a structure 
lacking, to paraphrase Althusser, 
a class struggle in the cultural 
production (a paraphrase of 
Althusser's definition of 
philosophy as a class struggle in 
theory). 

23 In reality, these three provisional 
structures - high art enclosed in 
the ideosphere of idealism, 
market art determined by 
pragmatism and critical artistic 
practices determined by a 
materialistic approach to art - 
do not exist, as is always the 
case, in ideal isolation or 
conceptual purity. Rather, they 
throw into question the vision 
of art as a single uniform block 
levitating separately above the 
field of social events. The world 
of art, in all of its expansions, 
transformations and mimicries 
(as discussed above) is not an 
enclosed territory, but rather a 
broad spectrum of approaches 
and a terrain of struggle - a 
landscape of conflict, different 
positions and constructions. 


would be the unifying element of such collectivization. Here we can find the 
particle of continuing the thought brought by revolutionary feminism, and 
this is an attempt to create micro-communities, modern cooperatives in 
which interpersonal, working and social relations are organized differently. In 
her time, Alexandra Kollontai, a Bolshevik feminist, was inviting for a certain 
parallelism, a simultaneous construction of both the new social apparatus 
and the change of personal and interpersonal relationships, believing that 
the end of capitalism lies not only in an "abstract" organization of the state 
apparatuses and laws, but also in a concentrated and organized effort to 
transform personal and interpersonal relationships. 21 This invitation can also 
be seen as an invitation to revolutionize relationships based on p2p, in line 
with the struggle for integral social changes. 

However, it is not that straightforward, or without a paradox, to use past 
experiences in a "handy translation" for the needs of a reformist politics of 
creating better and more equitable communities. Without any doubt, a full 
force of realization of this type of project is possible only through overcoming 
the capitalist system. Inside capitalism, it remains a tool of subordination or 
an inner transformation of the already-existing... while a true revolutionary 
practice strives precisely for the realization of the non-existent. 


Creation, entrepreneurship, artistic labour/non-labour 

How to conclude the consideration of this ideological transfer between 
creatio and productio, between the Spirit and Money, whose manifestation is 
mediated by various "parades" of love - interested and disinterested, with a 
vision or with calculation. What is the presumed terrain on which these 
relations unfold? 

Still, the issue of creation, entrepreneurship and artistic labour cannot, 
in the historical sense, be reduced to a clear-cut and unambiguous 
opposition between art and the production of goods in some sort of totality 22 . 
This relationship has, rather, become the foundation for bifurcations and 
stratifications, conflicts and struggles occurring within art itself. The 
positioning takes place in the naming alone. Whether we recognize a certain 
artistic gesture or practice contextually and materially as creation, 
entrepreneurship or artistic labour/non-labour, says something about the 
practice - it introduces demarcation lines on the body of art-as-ideology, 
which are often the lines of the "class struggle within art". 

Through examples, analyses, dramaturgies of events and sketches of 
relations, we have touched upon three wide conceptual terrains on which 
artistic positioning is carried out - the terrain of high art, market art and 
critical artistic practices, which we have given special attention 23 . 

The concept of high art or art commission was originally developed as 
an aristocratic invention, only to later find its new iterations in modernist 
aestheticism and formalism. In the Keynesian welfare states of the 20th 
century, high art played the role in the state ideological apparatus 24 of the 
organized space of autonomy (the so-called relative autonomy of art) and 
was juxtaposed with the alternative culture (as the critical margins of 
society) and popular culture (often equated with the cultural industries) 25 . Its 
connection with terms such as the public, politics or state, and occasionally 
the society (in socialist states), most often presumed connections with the 
dominant public, or "the public of the class in power", which changed 
through different orders, just as art itself has changed. 


38 


"Administration of aesthetics" or on underground 
currents of negotiating artistic jobs 

Jelena Vesic 


Frakcija #68/69 

Art & Money 


24 See: Luis Althusser, "Ideology 
and Ideological State 
Apparatuses", in: Lenin and 
Philosophy and Other Essays 
(New York, Monthly Review 
Press, 2001), pp. 127-188, http:// 
www.marx2mao.com/Other/ 
LPOE70NB.html [accessed 3 
September 2014], 

25 It should be pointed out that 
many artistic movements, 
groups and individual artists 
who were active in the domain 
of modernist formalism had 
political and social utopian 
aspirations, most frequently 
related to the coexistence of the 
universality of modern art and 
the anticipated universal human 
emancipation. 

26 The proliferated term critical art 
probably means little today 
because every art represents 
itself as somewhat critical and 
political in the regulated domain 
of "appropriate" and "moderate" 
requirements. However, 
regardless of this proliferation, I 
would like to re-claim this term 
within the historical continuity 
of critical artistic practices as a 
continuity of points of 
discontinuities, cuts and 
ruptures with one of the 
dominant tendencies in a 
specific historical moment or 
specific circumstances. In this 
sense, criticism does not have to 
mean only negation as such, but 
also negation as the other side 
of affirmation of something 
never affirmed before. 

27 Peter Burger, Theory of the 
Avant-Carde (Minneapolis: 
University of Minnesota Press, 
1984 [1974]) 

28 This return to the modes of 
production, as stated by Terry 
Smith, is used to differentiate 
between "natural processes of 
formation of minerals" from the 
"mechanical production 
processes", which actually 
demonstrates that production is 
the ultimate issue of cultural 
development and the 
development of social 
organization. Also, Smith pays 
attention to the specific modus 
operandi of art that concerns 
both the mode of production, 
and the production of modes, 
for instance in the case of the 
development of historical 
realism of the 19 th century - the 


The concept of market culture or market-oriented art appeared as an 
alternative to the academic dictate, primarily the dictate of the French and 
British academies and their production apparatus established according to 
the model of art commission or commissioned works of art. Art, as an already 
established (institutionalized) practice, entered a contractual relation with 
capital and responded to the market demand under the slogan of liberated 
individuality. The concept of art as a matter of individual taste was created 
by the rising middle class, bourgeoisie, emancipating itself from the public, 
policy and state, whose ideology at a given historical moment was dictated 
by the aristocracy and clergy. Today, this concept is the dominant mode of 
existence of art, which best reflects the logic of the T.gg order. 

Finally, the concept of critical art 26 opposed this binary pair of high art 
and the arts market. Critical artistic practices have developed from the 
doctrine of self-reflection and self-criticism of the artistic system, the 
Artworld (as Danto would say) or art-as-institution (as Peter Burger 
formulated it 27 , relying on the experience of the historical avant-garde). One 
of the main goals of critical art was to return art, through criticism of the 
institution of art created in the liberal civil society, to everyday life and social 
practice, thus returning to issues of the modes of production and 
consumption, relying on the approaches of political economy and Marxist 
theories of art 28 . Various avant-garde policies of negating and provoking 
institutions of art in different contexts and situations attempted to create 
and defend a new and different public. By questioning the form and context 
of phenomena, and by questioning the relations between the content, form 
and organisation, critical art often returned the focus to the issue of artistic 
labour in different forms. In the historical development of art in the 20th and 
21 st century, we faced different manifestations of ideological interventions in 
the field of creation ( creatio ) through concepts the artist-worker, worker-as- 
artist/creator, through the slogan "everyone is an artist!", through the 
concept of art as everyday life or everyday life as art. 

However, what happens today if we return to the concept of artist- 
worker and we begin to think of art as labour? 

On the one hand, the entry of the field of self-definition via the 
declaration "I am a cultural worker" represents a tactical operation, a 
mobilization call to the precarious cognitariat faced with neoliberal processes 
of the decomposition of the social sphere and welfare states, sending 
everyone it can to the market. To say "I am a cultural worker" is to reclaim the 
linguistics of broken socialism for the purposes of an existential struggle of 
artists that have been made redundant, just as many other industrial and 
social workers, who have lost their position in the general restructuring of 
the economy and politics according to the neoliberal dictate. "I am a cultural 
worker" is a signifier of the cultural solidarity with the contemporary working 
class, which results in the active denial of the ideology of art and the canon 
of creation. Such a declarative de-auratization of artistic distinctiveness 
represents an attempt to shift the focus to artistic and intellectual activity as 
labour that deserves social recognition and material compensation. 

On the other hand, the opposition between artist-genius and cultural 
worker only accentuates the rupture between the autonomy of art and the 
heteronomy of labour, between the "ethereal existence" of an artist creating 
out of love and (social) ideals and the cultural worker immersed in the 
material existence, who creates motivated by external factors - profit and 
wages. Paradoxically, to say art=labour and to be a cultural worker is to 
consent too easily to the oblivion of all great dreams of autonomy and 


"Administration of aesthetics" or on underground 
currents of negotiating artistic jobs 

Jelena Vesic 


Frakcija #68/69 

Art & Money 


39 


production of truths about 
social relations of production. 
See: Terry Smith, "Modes of 
Production" in Critical Terms for 
Art History, ed. by Robert S. 
Nelson and Richard Shiff 
(Chicago: University of Chicago 
Press, 1996). 

29 Marina Vishmidt and Anthony 
lies, "Uposli sve sto ti dode pod 
ruku", Umetnik/ca u (ne)radu 
(Novi Sad: kuda.org and MSUV, 
2012), and "Make Whichever You 
Find Work", http://www.variant. 
0rg.uk/41texts/ilesvishmidt41. 
html [accessed 3 September 
2014]. 

30 In the full swing of budgetary 
cuts, it is precisely the 
autonomy of arts that has been 
cut. In the most extreme 
discussions, in the Dutch 
context, culture and arts have 
been declared "parasites of the 
honest working people paying 
taxes to the state". See Jack 
Segbars, "The Dutch situation", 
10 February 2014, http://www. 
platformbk.nl/2014/02/the- 
dutch-situation-2/?lang=en 
[accessed 3 September 2014], 


freedom in exchange for a little safe existence here and now. What does it 
mean to be a cultural worker in capitalist social relations? A creative slave? A 
freethinking hireling? To accept capitalist labour and the principle Make 
Whichever You Find Work 29 , as Marina Vishmidt and Anthony lies 
demonstrated, is just another form of affirming contemporary market 
expansionism. To say "I am a cultural worker" means the same as "1 am not an 
artist-social parasite" 30 , some sort of confirmation via negation or a 
boomerang effect of the neoliberal dyad utilitarity-redundancy. Cynically - 
the system could reply "if you are a worker - sell yourself, work and earn 
some money", if the other industries are closed, at least the cultural 
industries are open - "apply your creative craft as a worker and work in the 
industries"... 

There is something in disinterestedness that capitalism finds very 
disturbing, but it certainly does not mean a return to the same struggle for 
the autonomy of art initiated by enlighteners, philosophers of idealism and 
founders of academies. In any case, it is interesting to notice that the 
paradoxical struggle of cultural workers invokes an image of future society as 
a "society of workers", whereas in the revolutionary situations of the 20th 
century one would dream of a "society of artists". This is why the 
dramaturgies of the para-contractual conversations, which were the subject 
of this text, manifest numerous schisms, anxieties, contradictions, wants and 
frustrations of the contemporary protagonists of the art world, imprisoned 
like voices in the mind as a result of the inflated (im)possibility of self- 
realisation. 

As an open ending - one true anecdote that formalizes and performs 
the claim that money represents the shame of creation through a paradoxical 
coupling of cynical conceptualism and tactical functionalism. After many 
years of discomfort over the struggle for his own worker's and existential 
rights in the midst of discussions about beautiful and creative artistic 
matters, the artist X from Western Europe finally found a "Solomonic 
solution". He gave form to this deafened schism by creating the fictitious 
character of his female manager Y, with an e-mail address and Southeast 
European origin. The artist X only discusses artistic creation, and the manager 
Y only discusses money. The same person is behind both e-mail addresses, 
simultaneously delegating tasks to both his "elevated" and "banal" half, 
conducting himself - as necessary - sometimes generous and sometimes 
restrictive, sometimes immersed in the content of the art and sometimes in 
the production needs, at times struggling for ideas and at times for money 
and subsistence. Rather than as a convenient method for "ridding oneself of 
the sins of interestedness" with "disinterested ideas", the anecdote is more 
intriguing for the way it situates, through gender, geopolitics and ideology- 
art, the schisms in one body and in "the right location". This schism confirms 
the rule that today a true artist is only the artist who can say: "For everything 
else, please address my manager". 














































42 


Insceniranje kapitala 

Andrew Haydon 


Frakcija #68/69 

Umjetnost i novae 


Insceniranje 

kapitala 

Andrew Haydon 

S engleskog preveo Coran Vucenovic i urednice 


? g. kolovoza 2008.: Bio sam u Nitri u Slovackoj i upravo 
sam pogledao Pornografiju Simona Stephensa u 
njemackoj produkeiji i reziji Sebastiana Nublinga, 
predstavu inspiriranu bombaskim napadima u 
Londonu 7. srpnja. Nekolicina nas je otisla u podrumski 
bar niskog stropa smjesten s druge strane glavnog 
trga, preko puta velike zgrade kazalista iz 
komunistickih vremena u kojem je predstava odigrana, 
gdje smo s uzitkom povoljno mijenjali eure i funte za sada nevazece slovacke 
krune. Negdje oko ponoci nekom je stigao sms daje Americki senat glasovao 
protiv EESA (Emergency Economic Stabilization Act): americka je vlada odbila 
spasavati Wall Street. Americka burza potonulaje za 8 posto, sto je najveci 
pad od Crnog ponedjeljka 1987. Stajali smo u baru dzepova punih kruna 
pitajuci se sto ce, zaboga, uslijediti. 

Kao sto se pokazalo, bio je to pocetak kraja teme koja je obiljezavala 
britansku i americku scenu jos od 9. rujna: "rata protiv terora" (war on terror ). 
Price o Afganistanu, o invaziji na Irak, o radikalizaeiji britanskih islamista, o 
Cuantanamu, mucenjima i neuobicajenim izrucenjima prevladavale su 
tijekom sedmogodisnjeg perioda. Rezirati Shakespearea znacilo je da ce 
produkeijom dominirati pustinjske maskirne uniforme, a suvremeni prijevodi 
grekih klasika cesto su koristili nove popularne sintagme poput ustanicki 
( insurgent ), paravojni borac (illegal combatant) i poboljsane ispitivacke tehnike 
(enhanced interrogation techniques ). 

"Kreditna kriza" stala je tome na kraj. Kao teme, rat u Iraku i 
protuamericka propaganda polako su se dramaturski iscrpile. Ali kako je 
Stephensova Pornograpja upravo pokazala, bilo je jos mnogo novih nacinaza 
istrazivanje te cudne, neocekivane traume britanske nacionalne psihe. 
Pokazalo se daje Pornografija zadnja velika britanska predstava koja je u 
bitnome tematizirala dogadaje kao sto su 7. srpnja, radikalni Islam, rat protiv 
terora itd. 


Insceniranje kapitala 

Andrew Haydon 


Frakcija #68/69 

Umjetnost i novae 


43 


* * * 

Codinu dana kasnije: Jesen je 2009. U Ujedinjenom Kraljevstvu gledamo 
predstave nove sezone. Ono sto se prosle godine nazivalo "kreditnom 
krizom" ( the credit crunch) preobratilo se nekom cudnom osmozom u 
"financijsku krizu". Nova sezona u Londonu cini se razumljivo zagrijana da 
pokaze kako je u skladu s trendovima te nudi drame koje proucavaju jadno 
stanje financijskog sektora. 

U ovom dijelu zelim razmotriti tri glavne predstave: Money, koju izvodi 
site-specific druzina Shunt; Rupert Cooldovu postavu ENRON-a, novog 
komada mlade britanske dramaticarke Lucy Prebble; i na kraju, The Power of 
Yes - novi verbatim komad veterana Davida Harea. 

Vrijedi prvo red kako su djela medusobno poprilicno razlicita. Sva tri 
zajedno prikazuju pristojan raspon tema koje su se izvodile u britanskim 
kazalistima krajem prve dekade 21. stoljeca. 

U isto vrijeme, vazno je napomenuti da se sva tri djela mogu razmatrati 
kao adaptaeije. Money, druzine Shunt, izravan je odgovor na istoimenu novelu 
Emilea Zole (L 'argent), dok se ENRON Lucy Prebble, iako spekulativan, zasniva 
na minucioznom istrazivanju stvarnih dogadaja, mada neki cinici tvrde da je 
taj komad jednostavna adaptaeija filma Enron/The Smartest Cuys in the Room. 
A The Power of Yes, kao primjer verbatim teatra,je adaptaeija nedavnih 
stvarnih dogadaja. Doista, ovaj komad ide tako daleko da glumac Anthony 
Calf "glumi" autora djela Davida Harea i po njegovom tekstu ozivljava stvarne 
dogadaje koje je on (pravi David Hare) vodio s razlicitim bankarima, 
finaneijskim novinarima, ekonomistima i finaneijerima nekoliko mjeseci ranije. 

Shuntovje Money onoliko dogadaj koliko i instalacija, alije i "drama", 
onako kako taj termin razumije vecina britanske kazalisne publike. Predstava 
se odvija na novoizgradenoj trokatnoj konstrukeiji koju je za sebe napravila 
druzina Shunt u vlastitim novim prostorijama - skladistu smjestenom pored 
Londonskog mosta u centralnom juznom Londonu. Relativno mali broj 
gledatelja ulazi u prvu prostoriju, uranja u potpuni mrak, glasni zvukovi treste, 
a kad se svjetla ponovo upale, publikaje zatecena jer je prostorija u kojoj se 
nalaze potpuno razlicita od one u koju su usli. Od tada se predstava odvija 
pred njima, a poslije ih premjeste u drugu prostoriju. Konstrukcija ili masina 
unutar koje ih se pokrece nekako im ne daje dovoljno nagovjestaja da shvate 
gdje se tocno nalaze. Zahvaljujuci tomu, iznenadne i vrtoglave promjene 
perspektive postaju karakteristicno obiljezje predstave. 

U kojoj se mjeri predstava referira na Zolinu novelu, u vrijeme kada sam 
je ja gledao, a to je nekoliko nod nakon pressice, ostaje sporno. Zasigurno je 
inspirirana njome. Sigurno je takoder da nakon predstave nemate dojam da 
ste upoznati sa zapletom predloska. 

Cijela stvar je, posljedicno, jasno motivirana - barem djelomicno - 
zeljom da se podraze osjecaji vezani uz puteve trgovine - sobe u koje se 
publika poziva na ispijanje sampanjea, scene gdje gledaju zestoke prepirke o 
buduenosti njihove tvrtke itd. Ali zaista, dok je predstava trijumf dizajna i 
vizualnog kazalista, njezina stvarna veza s novonastalom krizom, kao i s 
romanom, ostaje cudnovato nejasna. 


I 

I 







44 


Insceniranje kapitala 

Andrew Haydon 


Frakcija #68/69 

Umjetnost i novae 


* * * 

Za usporedbu, predstava ENRON Lucy Prebble, dramatizaeija o padu 
istoimene americke energetske tvrtke - prava je predstava u pravo vrijeme. 
Prica o Enronu sadrzi u malom sve ono sto je poslo krivo na americkim 
finaneijskim trzistima od skandala s drugorazrednim hipotekarnim kreditima. 
Plakati predstave nosili su slogan: "Postojalo je upozorenje. Zvalo se Enron". 
Zanimljivo je kakoje Prebble pocela raditi na ovom komadu tri godine prije 
negoli je premijerno prikazan u kazalistu Chichester Festival u koprodukeiji 
Royal Corta i kompanije Hedlong u reziji Rupeta Coolda. Prebble je iskreno 
priznala da je objavljeni i rezirani tekst devetnaesta verzija njezine drame. 
Prebble je poznata kao sitnicava prepravljacica teksta. Ali to postavlja pitanje 
o intencionalnoj relevantnosti njezine drame. Dakako, scena u kojoj se 
pojavljuju Lehman Brothers - kao sto je tipicno za Cooldovu vizualno 
mastovitu produkeiju - u kojoj su dvojica glumaca odjeveni u zajednicko 
odijelo s dva ovratnika - izazvalaje smijeh buduci da je sama banka nakon 
pada otisla u stecaj, ali to nije nista doli sretna podudarnost (iz perspektive 
Coolda i Prebble). Lehman Brothers bili bi u prici svejedno, propala ta banka ili 
ne. Mozda bi njihovo vrijeme na sceni bilo znacajno reducirano, ali buduci da 
je prica istinita, efektnom je prije ucinila nemilosrdna povijesna providnost 
nego sama dramaticarka. 

Ukratko, kad je projekt konacno zavrsen, ispao je samo dobra prica s 
nekoliko opcih lekeija za sve nas o tome gdje nas mogu odvesti pohlepa i 
pokvarenjastvo, s kapitalizmom ili bez njega. To nije bila agit-propovska 
kritika samih finaneijskih trzista, vec vise molba onima unutar takvih sustava 
da ne zloupotrebljavaju pravila. Ona sigurno nije bila narucena kako bi 
prikazala status quo. Ali, zahvaljujuci Prebbleinim brojnim prepravkama teksta 
i dugom periodu od narudzbe do predaje teksta, kad je predstava konacno 
postavljena na scenu, ispostavilo se da je sve to uglacavanje rezultiralo 
savrsenim zrcalom. 


oi Andrew Haydon, "The Power of 
Yes - National Theatre", 
Postcards from the Cods, io. 
listopada 2009., http:// 
postcardsgods.blogspot. 
com/20og/io/power-of-yes- 
national-theatre.html 
[pristupljeno 18. listopada 2013.]. 


* * * 

Posljednji komad izjesenske sezone 2009. koji zelim razmotriti nastao je u 
National Theatreu i to s posebnom namjerom tematiziranja financijske krize. 
Komad je to verbatim kazalista - u ovom slucaju radilo se o seriji intervjua 
koje je na svoje zadovoljstvo naknadno oblikovao autor David Hare. 
Podnaslov ovog komada je "dramaticar nastoji razumjeti financijsku krizu". 
Osvrnut cu se na svoju raniju kritiku 1 u kojoj sam naveo sljedece: "S obzirom 
na aktualnost ove teme, zapravo je cudno kako je The Power of Yes cini posve 
nezanimljivom. Razlog tome je sto se cijela predstava temelji na dozivljaju 
'Davida Harea' - fikcionalnog lika stvarnog dramaticara. Ovdje se uopce ne 
radi o financijskoj krizi, vec o autorovom interesu za nju. I cini se da bi i mi 
trebali biti zainteresirani za njegov interes. Rijec je o tome da on dozivljava za 
nas. On se i ljuti za nas, bez ikakvih stvarnih posljedica. Mozda je njegova 
nemoc isto tako i nasa vlastita." 

The Power of Yes bila je velika produkeija National Theatrea, ocit izbor za 
dramaticarev angazman, koja se neposredno uhvatila u kostac sa 
"finaneijskom krizom". Obratili su sejednom od svojih najpoznatijih 
"politickih" pisaca i poslali ga s biljeznicom da sakupi hrpu specificnih 
odgovora na specificna pitanja koja namece ova specificna tema. Dio 


Insceniranje kapitala 

Andrew Haydon 


Frakcija #68/69 

Umjetnost i novae 


45 


odgovornosti za umjetnicki neuspjeh snosi i reziser Angus Jackson koji pati od 
potpunog gubitka smjera. 

Sljedeci problem u pristupu je i pretpostavka teksta da publika gotovo 
nista ne zna o temi. Rijec je bila jednostavno o tome da netko postavi pitanje 
"zasto" je do krize uopce doslo. A kako je komad ciljao na obrazovane, 
burzoaske gledatelje od kojih mnogi vjerojatno imaju iskustvo rada u 
finaneijskom sektoru, a ako ga nemaju onda su barem gledali televiziju i citali 
novine, komad se potrosio na opcenite, nezanimljive stvari s kojima je publika 
vjerojatno bila dobro upoznata. 

Ako je i bilo kakve analize, ona je bila osobna, emotivna i anegdotalna. 
Nije bilo klasicne tragicke strukture kao u ENRON- u, koja je, bazirajuci se na 
nekoliko jakih ljudskih prica, ako nista drugo, publici ponudila neki uvid u to 
zasto je tvrtka propala. A sigurno nije imala nista od vizualne atraktivnosti 
Shuntovog Moneya. Svejedno, na kraju, kad odgledate sva tri komada, 
razvidno je da publika nije dobila nista vise od cinjenice da kriza postoji. A 
osim nesto dobronamjernog negodovanja o tome kako se moglo dogoditi da 
stvari odu tako daleko nije bilo nikakve ideje otpora krizi, recesiji ili 
strukturama koje su dopustile da do njih dode. 


02 Deborah Summers, "No return 
to boom and bust: what Cordon 
Brown said when he was 
chancellor", Guardian, n. rujna 
2008., http://www.guardian. 
c0.Uk/p0litics/2008/sep/n/ 
gordonbrown. economy 
[pristupljeno i8. listopada 2013.]. 


* * * 

Dijelom je to i zbog toga sto je Britanija 2009. jos uvijek imala laburisticku 
vladu. I to onu koja je u zadnjih 12 godina slavljena zbog kontinuirane 
financijske "razboritosti". Bivsi kancelar i kratkotrajni premijer Gordon Brown 
jednom je ustvrdio kako je on ukinuo boom and bust (period ekonomskog 
proevata nakon kojeg slijedi kolaps) 2 . Pretpostavljam da se - zbog toga sto je 
Britanski teatar nepromjenjivo lijevo orijentiran, zbog 12 godina "mekog" 
kapitalizma, zbog "brizne" socijalne politike, zbog toga sto je bijes Ijevicara 
bio fokusiran na konkretan problem Blairove neoimperijalisticke avanture u 
Iraku - recesija percipirala kao "pomalo nepravedan iznenadan napad" na ono 
sto je Gordon Brown pokusao uciniti s drzavnom blagajnom. 

Opci izbori 2010. donijeli su znacajnu promjenu i rasterecenje javnog 
mnijenja. Laburisti na celu s neizabranim i vrlo nepopularnim Gordonom 
Brownom koji je preuzeo mandat od Tonya Blaira nakon Blairove izborne 
pobjede 2005. porazeni su od konzervativaca koji su dosli na vlast u koalieiji s 
liberalnim demokratima. 

Konzervativni voda David Cameron koji je dobio izbore s programom 
"suosjecajnog konzervativizma", predstavljajuci se kao prijateljsko lice 
"zloceste stranke", pa se ocekivalo, u najboljem slucaju, da ce stvari ostati 
onakvima kakve su i bile, a takvo je razmisljanje podgrijavala i cinjenica da ce, 
barem u teoriji, lijevo orijentirani liberalni demokrati pridonijeti balansu 
politickih snaga. 

Popularnost Blairove administraeije (slaba kakvaje bila) pocivala je 
najvise na njegovoj ranoj unutrasnjoj politici. Izmijenio je Klauzulu 28, 
omogucio registrirano partnerstvo, utvrdio minimalnu placu na nacionalnoj 
razini i povecao izdvajanja za program javnog zdravstva, obrazovanja i cak - 
koliko god se to nevjerojatnim danas cinilo - umjetnosti. Medutim, 
istovremeno je povecao studentske skolarine, nastavio s praksom labave 
kontrole nad Cityjem i zagovarao javno-privatno partnerstvo kao alternativu 
drzavnom vlasnistvu. 







46 


Insceniranje kapitala 

Andrew Haydon 


Frakcija #68/69 

Umjetnost i novae 


Kao sto je Slavoj Zizek sugerirao svojim tekstom u London Review of 
Books u 2007.: 

Upravo je Tonyju Blairu poslo za rukom da institucionalizira 
(Thatchericinu revolueiju), ili po Hegelu, da unaprijedi (ono sto se isprva 
cinilo kao) slucajnost, kao puku historijsku akeideneiju u povijesnu 
nuznost. Thatcherica nije bila tacerijanac, ona je bila tek ona sama; Blair 
(vise nego Major) je bio onaj koji je zaista oblikovao tacerizam 3 . 

Izborom Davida Camerona za premijera ove neugodne cinjenice postale su 
neizbjezne. Dokje prije "politicko" krilo britanskog teatra mjesecarilo 
ekonomskim faktima laburisticke vladavine, uzivajuci u opcoj atmosferi 
prosperiteta, zadovoljstva i socijalne pravde - ili svoj bijes u potpunosti 
fokusiralo na mucenja i krsenja ljudskih prava pocinjena od strane 
Amerikanaca i Britanaca u inozemstvu - ova iznenadna promjena fokusa 
ucinila je otpor ne samo lakse zamislivim vec nuzno potrebnim. 

U studenom 2010. London je bio popriste nekoliko studentskih protesta 
zbog prijedloga kojim se trazi povecanje godisnjih skolarina s otprilike 3000 
na 9000 funti. O ovim se protestima cesto izvjestavalo kao o obicnim 
neredima. Naslovnice su bile preplavljene fotografijama razbijenih prozora i 
vatre koja se reflektira s vizira do zuba naoruzanih policajaca. 

Sljedeceg Ijeta, u kolovozu nesto prije pocetka edinburskog festivala, 
zemlju je pogodila jos jedna serija ulicnih nereda. Nominalno izazvani 
ubojstvom mladog crnca Marka Duggana od strane londonske polieije, ovi 
neredi su brzo eskalirali u londonskim cetvrtima, ali i u drugim dijelovima 
zemlje, neovisno o svom povodu, te su prerasli u nefokusiran izljev bijesa 
protiv recesije, protiv ugnjetavackog oblika potrosackog kapitalizma, 
predvodeni potlacenom skupinom o kojoj vlada ne vodi narocitu brigu. 
Znacajno je da su "neredi" ponekad prerastali u velika nelegalna soping 
lumpanja. Izlozi trgovina elektricnih aparata i sportske odjece su razbijeni i 
opljackani, a pljackasi su navodno bili najvise zainteresirani za televizore 
sirokih ekrana, skupe tenisice, iPodove i iPhone. Konzervativna retorika o 
"slomljenoj Britaniji" i "divljoj socijali" dosegnula je novu razinu. 


03 Slavoj Zizek, "Resistance is 
surrender", London Review of 
Books, 15. studenog 2007., 
http://www.lrb.co.uk/v29/n22/ 
slavoj-zizek/resistance-is- 
surrender [pristupljeno 18. 
listopada 2013.]. 


* * * 

Drzim da je ovaj metez potaknuo radanje druge grupe predstava. Dokje prvi 
niz nudio apstraktne, humane ili jednostavne, sture racunovodstvene 
izvjestaje vezane uz kreditnu/financijsku - krizu/recesiju, ovi novi komadi su 
agresivnije reagirali na njezinu pojavu. 

Na pocetku vrijedi napomenuti kako su ove "reakeije" proizisle iz nesto 
drukeijeg dijela britanskog teatra. S izuzetkom druzine Shunt (koja 
strukturalno zauzima zanimljivo mjesto unutar britanskog teatra - 
egzistirajuci na pola puta izmedu avangarde i srednjostrujastva - i koja, s 
jedne strane ima potpunu umjetnicku slobodu, a s druge, ovisna je o 
marketingu National Theatrea; kritike njezinih predstave pisu najpoznatiji 
konzervativni kazalisni kriticari te ima svojevrsnu sluzbenu dozvolu da 
producira manje pristupacne, nepodesne predstave), spomenuti komadi 
pripadaju srednjoj struji britanskog teatra. Porijeklo te struje seze sve do 
"Royal Court revolueije" iz 1956., odnosno tradieije britanskog narativnog 
teatra u kojoj dominira drama i tradieija "sluzenja tekstu". To bi znacilo da je 
unatoc suradnji Coolda i Prebble na prvoj postavi ENRON -a tekst autorice 
doslovno sadrzavao sve one odluke koje bi se mogle pripisati redatelju 


Insceniranje kapitala 

Andrew Haydon 


Frakcija #68/69 

Umjetnost i novae 


47 


predstave - interesantan britanski kompromis, gdje se dramskim tekstom 
legitimira svaka stvar koja bi mogla biti proglasena "redateljskim 
pretjerivanjem", na sto su kriticari mainstream medija apsolutno alergicni. 

Predstave koje cu sada razmotriti dolaze, nasuprot tome, iz jedne 
drukeije, nesto manje jasne tradieije odnosno sektora: onog koji bismo 
najlakse opisali kao "Live Art" i/ili "alternativni teatar". Cini se da je ova struja 
uhvatila jaci korijen u Britaniji nego u ostatku Europe, ali cak se i u Njemackoj, 
na primjer, jasno razlikuju djela koja se igraju u HAU od onih koja se igraju u 
Deutsches Theatru u Berlinu. Predstave kojima cu se sada posvetiti uglavnom 
pripadaju ovim prvima. 


* * * 

Prvi takav primjer je Crunch 4 Garyja McNaira. Crunch je "izvedbeno 
predavanje" (ili "predavanje") o financijskoj krizi. Kao i u mnogim predstavama 
alternativne tradieije, radilo se o solo radu. Ta cinjenica vrijedna je 
spominjanja sama po sebi zbog svojih ekonomskih, (pa cak i socijalnih) 
implikaeija. Znacajan aspekt Cruncha je zavrsetak, tj. sam rasplet. Naime, 
clanovima publike te predstave - na koju je ulaz bio Slobodan kao dio 
programa pod kuratorstvom organizaeije Forest Fringe, kolektiva ciji je etos 
upravo suprotan agresivnom kapitalizmu glavnog edinburskog Fringe 
festivala - ponudena je moguenost da tijekom predstave uniste nesto 
vlastitog novea. Publika je ohrabrivana da vlastiti novae (noveanieu od pet 
funti) ucini neupotrebljivim propustajuci ga kroz rezac papira. 

Fascinantan opis predstave nalazi se na internetskim stranicama The 
Guardiana, a napisala ga je njihova novinarka iz umjetnicke redakeije (ne 
kazalisna kriticarka) Charlotte Higgins. 5 Najinteresantnija je stvar u toj 
kolumni kolicina negativnih reakeija citatelja, ponekad vrlo zestokih 
(odnosno, onoliko zestokih koliko to uopce moze dopustiti pazljiva 
moderaeija komentara), na cinjenicu da netko svojevoljno unistava vlastiti 
novae, a ta reakeija dolazi uglavnom od ljudi koji predstavu nisu ni vidjeli. 

Bijes da bi netko to bio u stanju uciniti gotovo je opipljiv. Da bi netko, umjesto 
da novae da u "dobrotvorne svrhe" ili da ga "korisno potrosi" mogao izabrati 
da ga unisti. Vec i ovakva zestoka reakeija citatelja gotovo da sama po sebi 
opravdava postojanje ove predstave. 

Ono sto je ovdje vazno jest gesta. Pristojno prigusena agresija (rezac 
papira, ipak, nije bas Molotovljev koktel) spram pravog, opipljivog novea, 
najjasnijeg moguceg simbola kapitalizma. Dakako da ova gesta govori i o 
nemoci. U njoj ima i elementa samoporaza: ako prihvacamo logiku 
kapitalizma, da vrijedimo koliko mozemo potrositi, zasto bi onda itko 
reducirao vlastitu vrijednost? "Zasto bismo smanjivali vlastitu kupovnu moc?" 
pita se kapitalizam i odzvanja u sokiranim komentarima "lijevih liberala" na 
internetskim stranicama The Guardiana. 


04 Lyn Gardner, "Crunch - review", 
Guardian, i8. kolovoza 2on., 
http://www.guardian.co.uk/ 
culture/2on/aug/n8/crunch- 
forest-fringe-theatre-review 
[pristupljeno i8. listopada 2013.]. 

05 Charlotte Higgins, "Crunch time 
at the Edinburgh festival: 
audiences step up to shred 
cash". Guardian, 16. kolovoza 
2on., http://www.guardian.co. 
uk/culture/2on/aug/i6/crunch- 
edinburgh-festival-shred-cash 
[pristupljeno 18. listopada 2013.]. 


* * * 

Sljedeci komad koji zelim razmotriti napravljen je takoder za jednog izvodaca 
(da, radi se ponovo o muskarcu), a rijec je o djelu Carpe Minuta Prima Briana 
Lobela. Moglo bi se reci da je to neka vrsta interaktivne instalacije prije nego 
"performans" jer u njemu nema uobicajenih scena gdje netko stoji na 
pozornici i izgovara neke recenice neko vrijeme. Umjesto toga na sceni je 







48 


Insceniranje kapitala 

Andrew Haydon 


Frakcija #68/69 

Umjetnost i novae 


Brian, blagajna, hrpa kovanica i skrivena kabina s video kamerom. Dogovor je 
da Brian kupi minutu vasega zivota zajednu funtu. Za minutu koju je Brian 
kupio od vas, odlazite u kabinu i ta se minuta snima. Taj se snimak moze 
prebaciti na DVD i prodati nekom drugom, ali vi vise nemate pravo na njega. 
Sto cete raditi u toj minuti dano vam je na slobodu. Brian tvrdi da ljudi koji su 
prodali minutu svoga vremena na snimanje reagiraju razlicito; neki stoje i ne 
rade nista, a drugi skidaju odjecu i plesu. 

U slucaju ovako "otvorenog" djela, umjetnik zapravo i nema moguenost 
za neko jednostrano tumacenje - kako ce publika reagirati na njega ovisi o 
sposobnosti i sklonosti svakog pojedinca prema apstraktnom misljenju. 

U svakom slucaju, nije pretjerano pomisliti da ova izvedba nudi temelj iz 
kojeg mozemo promisljati nas odnos prema noveu. Onome sto smo u stanju 
napraviti za novae. Nasem odnosu prema placanju u kapitalistickom sistemu. 
Mozda je to najjasnija moguca ilustracija Marxovog uvida da kapitalizam 
placa radnicima njihovo vrijeme, a ne njihov rad ili ucinak. 

Ono sto znacajno razlikuje ovu izvedbu od prve tri koje sam analizirao 
jest njena namjera da u prvi plan stavi odnos publike spram pravog, fizickog, 
potrosnog novea na nacin koji funkeionira u stvarnom svijetu. Naravno da 
prva tri spomenuta djela (Money, ENRON, The Power of Yes ) kostaju (znatno 
vise od pet funti) i uzimaju vrijeme (mnogo vise od placene minute), ali s 
obzirom na to da funkeioniraju unutar mainstreama taj aspekt predstava 
ostaje u drugom planu, a mozda je cak i namjerno zamracen i zaboravljen. 

To nas podsjeca na analizu Nicholasa Ridouta koja kaze da je: 

(...) teatar ekonomsko subpodrueje u kojem je rad ocigledno otuden. 
Nastavljajuci se na tu percepciju, primjecujem kako je vrijeme 
zaposlenika ovdje podvrgnuto strogom rezimu zvona i zavjese, kako 
kazalisnim probama i nocnoj rutini izvedbi dominira repetitivna 
aktivnost, kako se place zaposlenika jako razlikuju i kako se ta razlika 
odrzava golemim viskom rada koji zapravo onemogucava djelotvornu 
industrijsku organizaeiju, i kako je sredisnja aktivnost ujedno metafora 
otudenja i otudenje samo: glumac je placen da se pojavi pred publikom i 
govori rijeci koje je za njega napisao netko drugi te izvodi pokrete, a u 
najmanju je ruku izlozen intenzivnom i kritickom nadzoru 
menadzmenta koji uziva u mod zaposljavanja i otpustanja. Glumac je 
oznacitelj, a ujedno i oznaceno u potpunosti otudene robije za placu. 6 


06 Nicholas Ridout, Stage Fright, 
Animals and Other Theatrical 
Problems (Cambridge: 
Cambridge University Press, 
2006), str. loo. 


* * * 

Posljednji komad koji zelim razmotriti nosi naslov Money: The Cameshow, a 
igrao je u Bush teatru u sijecnju 2013. 

Predstava se sastoji od dva dijela. Prvi je prilicno klasicna drama koja 
prati zivote dvaju izmisljenih bankara kroz financijsku krizu u scenama koje se 
ne razlikuju puno od onih u ENRON-u od prije tri godine. 

Medutim, ovomeje dodan "Cameshow" element. Na pozornici se nalazi 
ioooo funti u kovanicama (usput budi receno, deset tisuca funti u 
kovanicama i nije velika hrpa). Publika je podijeljena na dva tima koja sjede na 
suprotnim krajevima pozornice, a svaki tim vodi po jedan glumac. Svaka od 
igara manje-vise jasno prikazuje metode kojima su se sluzili hedge fondovi i 
koje su dovele do financijske krize. "Going long", "shorting" itd. Vecina igara 
takoder ovisi o bujanju razlicite vrste mjehura prije njihovog pucanja. Mjehuri 
od sapuna odrzavaju se u zraku, dok balone busi, sto brze moze, publika iz 
drugog tima. Jasno vam je o cemu je rijec. 







Insceniranje kapitala 

Andrew Haydon 


Frakcija #68/69 

Umjetnost i novae 


49 


Ono sto razlikuje Money: The Cameshow od ostala dva navedena 
komada - i to je prikladno, s obzirom na to da je u detalje obradio hedge 
fondove (a i licio je vise na klasicni teatar, nego na maloprije spomenuti "Live 
Art") jest cinjenica da se ovaj put nije trosio novae publike. Tako smo mogli 
ulagati u natjecateljske igre i duh zajednistva, ali na kraju nas nije materijalno 
pogodilo to tko je pobijedio . 

Ipak, ovaj komad spada u istu kategoriju kao i McNairov Crunch buduci 
da su igre koristile gomilu pravih kovanica i s njima se raskalaseno razbacivale 
po pozornici. Opet je prisutno uzbudenje koje izaziva igra s pravim noveem. 
Pogotovo zbog toga jer je rijec apsurdno velikoj kolicini novea, mozda 
citavom budzetu predstave, tako nam je receno (sto nije vjerojatno, jer jedva 
pokriva prosjecan honorar dramskog pisca u Ujedinjenom Kraljevstvu). Ovdje 
vidimo kako se pravi novae - koji predstavlja minimalan godisnji prihod 
podlozan oporezivanju - baca unaokolo i koristi kao zeton u budalastim 
igrama. Na vrlo slican nacin kako burze i funkeioniraju, ohrabruje nas se da 
pomislimo. Ako je predstava u necemu i pogrijesila, rijec je bila o tome da je 
novae bio i suvise stvaran u usporedbi s hipotetickim i nevidljivim iznosima 
koji se pojavljuju i nestaju na burzovnim indeksima. 


07 "Denis Kelly opens the 

Stuckemarkt", Theatertreffen 
Blog, 10. svibnja 2012., http:// 
www.theatertreffen-blog.de/ 
tti2/english-posts/dennis-kelly- 
opens-the-stuckemarkt/ 
[pristupljeno 18. listopada 2013.] 


* * * 

U svom govoru na berlinskom festivalu Theatertreffen Stuckemarkt 2012. pod 
naslovom "Zasto je politicko kazaliste potpuni gubitak vremena" britanski 
dramaticar Dennis Kelly je ustvrdio: 

2006. sam politickom teatru dao zadnju sansu - napisao sam Love and 
Money, komad koji se bavi nasim odnosom prema novcu i dugovima. To 
ce, mislio sam, sve promijeniti. To mora nesto znaciti. Ali tada se 2008. 
dogodila kreditna kriza i sad smo svi najebali. Prokletnici, da ste samo 
slusali. 

Nadam se da necu ispasti profesionalni cinik. Mrzim to. Mrzim cinizam. 
Smatram ga lijenim i neiskrenim. Doista vjerujem da kazaliste moze 
promijeniti svijet. Mislim da to moze uciniti malim koracima mijenjajuci 
zivote ljudi koji su dosli u kontakt s njim. 7 

Bez obzira na to sto se sali, Kelly ima pravo. Kako sada stvari stoje, odnos 
britanskog teatra prema kapitalu i kapitalizmu ima nesto laibachovsko/NSK- 
ovsko u svojoj radikalnoj pretjeranoj identifikaeiji, medutim, nedostaje mu 
satire. 

Jednostavno receno, britanski je teatar previse kapitalisticki da bi doista 
kritizirao kapitalizam. U najgorem obliku, on reproducira sve kapitalisticke 
strukture; naplacuje vise za bolja sjedeca mjesta, glumci, redatelji i izvodaci 
razlicito su placeni, sto ovisi o njihovom statusu itd. To je forma koja se 
suprotstavlja establishmentu , a koju gotovo iskljucivo oblikuju internalizirane 
hijerarhije. 

U isto vrijeme, cak i kad propovijeda anti-kapitalizam i potkopava 
njegove temeljne strukture, precesto dopusta kapitalizmu ili tzv. kriznom 
razmisljanju da postavi vlastite kriterije prosudivanja. Cini se da britanski 
teatar i teatarske druzine trose toliko vremena u prihvacanju neeijih tudih 
pravila, dok ispunjavaju finaneijska izvijesca i opravdavaju se kao koristan i 
plodonosan dio postojeceg ekonomskog sustava, da ostaju bez nacina da im 
se suprotstave. U potpunosti su uskopljeni kao agenti ozbiljne promjene 
znacenja. 







50 


Insceniranje kapitala 

Andrew Haydon 


Frakcija #68/69 

Umjetnost i novae 


* * * 

U tjednu kad je odrzan gotovo u potpunosti drzavni pogreb bivse 
konzervativne prvakinje i premijerke Margaret Thatcher, Frank Cottrell-Boyce, 
covjek koji je "napisao" ceremoniju otvaranja Olimpijskih igara u Londonu 
2012. (a isto tako i scenarij za najbolji britanski film u zadnjoj dekadi: 24 Hour 
Party People) zabiljezio je sljedece: 

Pravi diktatori moraju placati umjetnicima da ih mitologiziraju. Maggie 
ih je jednostavno usisala u svoju orbitu. Mozda im nije davala novae, ali 
im je zato dala mnogo materijala. Zasto to nije upalilo? Zasto nije 
bezobzirno ismijana s vlasti kao sto se to u nekoj mjeri dogodilo John 
Majoru? Mozda su govoreci o njoj u tolikoj mjeri i dopustajuci joj da 
ispuni toliko kulturnog prostora njezini neprijatelji samo ucinili zivot bez 
nje teze zamislivim. Kao i propali IRA-in atentat, od toga je samo 
izgledala jos cvrsce. Nastojali su od nje napraviti vraga, a zaboravili su da 
on vlada. 

Ima konzervativaca medu vodama oba politicka tabora koji ne razumiju 
ovu zemlju. Pobjegli su od nje i zabarikadirali se u svoj Cotswold 
Trumptons odakle izdaju zakone kojima ce nas pretvoriti u Sjedinjene 
Americke Drzave. Zovu nas "slomljenom Britanijom" i govore kako ce 
nas opet napraviti velikom i slavnom". Mi jesmo odlicna zemlja - ali ne 
na nacin na koji to oni zele. 8 

Clavna teza Cottrell-Boycea dobro drzi vodu, a posebnu snagu dala joj je 
svecanost otvorenja Olimpijskih igara 2012. Umjesto da se pozabavi analizom 
bezbrojnih drustvenih boljki - recesijom, kapitalistickom krizom i grozotama 
drustvenog konzervativizma - ili njihovim uprizorenjem, ceremonija 
otvaranja Olimpijskih igara ucinila je nesto drugo, nesto sto nikad ranije 
nisam vidio da je bilo svjesno ucinjeno: pokazala je Britaniju prepoznatljivom i 
Ijevicarskom - ispravnoju je prikazala. Umjesto da pokazuje izlizane 
stereotipe i trosi vrijeme napadajuci ih, ona je naglasila sve ono pozitivno, 
zamijenila ustajale kliseje modernim stvarnostima i ucinila nas iznenadujuce 
ponosnim na njih. Priznajem, ucinila je to najako cudan, procesijski nacin, 
pjesmom, plesom i ekstravagantnim vatrometom posve u tradieiji otvorenja 
Olimpijskih igara (ipak se filmska scena s kraljicom i James Bondom Daniela 
Craiga koji se padobranom spustaju na stadion cini novinom), ali stvar nije u 
tome. Rijec je o nacinu na koji se, kao nikad prije, preslozila i promijenila slika 
nacionalnog identiteta i to pred ocima cijelog svijeta. 


08 Frank Cottrell Boyce, "Margaret 
Thatcher never liked her 
country", Guardian, 14. travnja 
2013., http://www.guardian.co. 
uk/commentisfree/20i3/apr/i4/ 
thatcher-never-liked-her- 
country [pristupljeno 18. 
listopada 2013.]. 


* * * 

Vracamo se u sadasnjost. U Edinburghu sam zbog festivala. Kolovoz je 2013: 
proslo je pet godina od mog posjeta slovackoj Nitri 2008., cime i zapocinjem 
esej. Cini se kako ove godine na Fringe festivalu pitanja o stvarnom novcu 
vise nisu aktualna. Pisem tekst pod nazivom "Two Left Turns" baziran na dva 
pozdravna govora s otvaranja Fringea. Prvi je govor poznatog britanskog 
dramaticara Marka Ravenhilla, a drugi Lornea Campbella, umjetnickog 
ravnatelja Northern Stagea, kazalista iz Newcastla, koje svoj program kurira u 
zamjenskoj zgradi. 







Insceniranje kapitala 

Andrew Haydon 


Frakcija #68/69 

Umjetnost i novae 


51 


Ravenhillov je govor bodljast, opozieijski polemican: 

Kapitalizam prolazi kroz najvecu ekonomsku krizu od depresije 
tridesetih godina dvadesetog stoljeca, depresije koja je donijela 
genocidne diktature i svjetski rat. Svijet u kojem zivimo potpuno je 
razlicit, na nacin koji jos ne razumijemo, od onoga od prije sest ili sedam 
godina. Paradigma se promijenila i bit ce potrebno mnogo toga 
promijeniti u zivotu i ponasanju ako zelimo naprijed. Nije moguce 
pritisnuti restart i otici natrag - u koje vrijeme? Moze u 2005.? Tada je 
bilo tako lijepo, New Labour je bio na snazi, ekonomija je cvjetala, 
umjetnost je bila doista, znate, cijenjena... mi cemo se baviti umjetnoscu 
pod teskim okolnostima barem sljedecih desetak ili vise godina ... 

Ali gledajmo na to kao na dobru stvar. Nije li umjetnost u periodu New 
Laboura postala sigurna i pristojna? Mislim da jest. Mislim da nije 
iskazivala istinu - prljavu, opasnu, smijesnu, uznemirujucu, remetilacku, 
buenu, prekrasnu istinu - barem ne toliko koliko je trebala. Zasto nije? 
Zato jer je vecina umjetnika koja je glasala za New Labour pristojna, 
liberalna vrsta ljudi, cijaje maksima "kad bi svi bili bolji jedni prema 
drugima" i "izlijecimo to zagrljajem". A kad je New Labour stupio na 
snagu... nekoliko je godina umjetnost zbilja dobivala nesto znacajnija 
sredstva. A mi smo umjetnici bili tako zahvalni za malo paznje i novea 
da smo zbog toga nuzno doveli u pitanje ono sto smo bili kao umjetnici. 

Ravenhill smatra da trebamo zahvaliti Bogu "sto imamo vladu u 
Westminsteru koju mrzimo i zdusno napadamo. Ljutnja i bijes su dobra 
pogonska goriva za umjetnike". 

Campellov je govor, nasuprot tome pomirljiviji, odnosno on, poput 
Franka Cottrella-Boycea, smatra da se bolje baviti necim novim nego se 
odupirati necemu starom. Navodi kratak izbor uzasnih stvari koje je napravila 
trenutna vlada, ali ipak zavrsava nadajuci se: 

I sad, usred svega toga, dogodi se ovo. Publika i umjetnici svih rasa, boja 
i vjeroispovijesti hrle na ovo mjesto, u ovu Atenu sjevera, da bi 
razmijenili iskustva, mijenjali druge i sami se promijenili. Kako bi se 
ponasali kao gradani, a ne kao kupci ili nuditelji usluga. Ovo je 
velicanstvena spontana gradanska inieijativa koja postaje sve znacajnija 
jer su ovakva dogadanja posve rijetka. Ovdje smo pozvani da mastamo i 
dozivljavamo jedni druge na nove oslobadajuce i zastrasujuce nacine. 
Ovdje zahvaljujemo nasim prijateljima koji nam pomazu da se 
formiramo i ovdje cemo pokusati zivjeti zajedno sljedeca tri tjedna i 
ovdje vas zelimo pozvati da nam se pridruzite. 

Da budemo posteni, Ravenhill je takoder predlozio umjetnicima neka 
pokusaju ponovo izmastati svijet, ali smatram da se ove dvije skole misljenja 
na Ijevici medusobno razlikuju. 

Na jednoj je strani suceljavanje i kritika, a na drugoj uvjerenje da su 
problemi prepoznati, a ta strana stvara radove koji zazivaju alternativu, radije 
nego da se pozabavi pitanjima cije su premise promasene. 

Iznenadio sam se na ceremoniji otvaranja Olimpijskih igara, koja je, 
priznajem, imala svojih mana, kad sam umjesto kritike problema posrnulog 
sustava javnog zdravstva, vidio njegovo sreano slavljenje i to u grandioznom 
uprizorenju sa stotinama u medicinske sestre preodjevenih pjevaca i plesaca 
koji guraju bezbrojne zeljezne krevete. Ideja da ce procesija "britanstva" 
donijeti genuinu reimaginaeiju s onu stranu mnogih kliseja 19. i 20. stoljeca, 
umjesto da mitologizira nas multikulturni uglavnom lijevo-liberalni zivotni 


52 


Insceniranje kapitala 

Andrew Haydon 


Frakcija #68/69 

Umjetnost i novae 


stil, izgledalaje kao jedan od najradikalnijih teatarskih pristupa koji smo - s 
ozbirom na kontekst - imali prilike vidjeti prosle godine. Naravno da mozemo 
zanovijetati nad detaljima, ali generalna gesta cinila se u isto vrijeme 
subverzivna i afirmativna prema svemu onome sto je najbolje u nas, da 
britansko drustvo umnogome nije rasisticko, sebicno, homofobno ili 
diskriminatorsko, nego inkluzivno, lijevo orijentirano, srdacno i otvoreno. 
Vjecita borba s drustvenim problemima i opetovano ukazivanje na njih 
dovodi do toga da ti/netko/umjetnik biva uvucen u njih i ne vidi nista drugo 
doli probleme. A to vodi riziku gubitka nade da ce suprotstavljanje bilo sto 
postici suoceno stakvim nepremostivim nejednakostima. 

Alternativa (podrazumijevajuci jasnu erno-bijelu sliku koja u stvarnosti 
ne postoji) Lornea Campbella pretpostavlja velikodusnost drugih. On smatra 
da do promjene ne dolazi pokazivanjem ili pricanjem publici o tome sto nije u 
redu, vec izgradnjom boljeg, eticnijeg teatara ili teatra koji ne ocajava vec 
promice nadu. 

Drzim da se suvremeni britanski teatar nedavno urusio pod teretom 
stalnog rjesavanja "problema". Predstave na ovogodisnjem edinburskom 
Fringeu poput Grounded Christophera Haydona u reziji Ceorga Branta 
(navigator americke bespilotne letjelice postepeno pada u psihozu), The 
Events Davida Creiga u reziji Ramina Craya (problematican i slozen prikaz 
masakra slicnog onom koji je izvrsio Anders Breivik 2on.), There Has Possibly 
Been an Incident Chrisa Thorpa (mjesavina monologa o, ponovo, Breiviku, 
Tiananmenskom trgu i rusenju diktature koje samo postaje diktatura) su 
izazovni komadi koje ekologija nacionalnog teatra ne bi trebala izgurati, ali i 
komadi koji postavljaju muena pitanja i zagledaju u zastrasujuce tmine duse 
cime, osim mozda vlastitog postojanja, jedva da ostavljaju nadu koja bi 
znacila volju i moguenost umjetnika da nastavi postavljati takva pitanja. 

U suprotnom taboru su komadi poput Smithovog Commonwealtha koji 
gaje nadu kod publike koja ih gleda. Tu je i 9 Chrisa Gooda 9 koji je uzeo devet 
gradana koji stanuju u blizini kazalista u Leedsu koje je i narucilo predstavu i 
jednostavno im pruzio cast angazirajuci ih da u predstavi glume sami sebe: 
Cijela zgrada (teatra u West Yorkshireu) zajedno s opremom, 
umjetnicima, administratorima, tehnicarima i vjerojatno publikom, bila 
je na raspolaganju i posvecena ovoj devetorici. To je vodece regionalno 
kazaliste s godisnjom drzavnom potporom od gotovo 1.5 milijuna funti 
koje se potpuno otvorilo svojim posjetiteljima i to na nacin koji nisam 
vidio nigdje drugdje... Mozete osjetiti uzbudenje, olaksanje i nestasluk 
svih njih na sceni dok se obracaju publici... To je nesto izuzetno sto je u 
potpunosti promijenilo moje shvacanje teatra i njegovih moguenosti. 

A mozda su najvise od tih drama udaljene smjele kazalisne produkeije, poput 
Northern Stage ili Forest Fringea koje prkose kapitalistickoj logici Fringe 
Festivala, koja se uvijek iznova prikazuje kao neizbjeznost i kao vrlina, i u 
kojima se stalno hvali "demokraeija" slobodnog trzista. Ovakva su mjesta, 
kakva god bila priroda djela koju postavljaju, a gdje sama cinjenica njihova 
postojanja i njihove organizacijske strukture kojom se iznova zamislja model 
kako bi kazalista mogla funkeionirati, ona tocka u kojoj se vidi kako mi/ 
publika mozemo razumjeti kako svijet moze biti ponovo zamisljen. 


09 Matt Trueman, "9 - West 

Yorkshire Playhouse", blog Matta 
Truemana, 30. travnja 2012. 
http://matttrueman.co. 
uk/2012/04/g-west-yorkshire- 
playhouse.html 

[pristupljeno 18. listopada 2013.] 







Insceniranje kapitala 

Andrew Haydon 


Frakcija #68/69 

Umjetnost i novae 


53 


* * * 

Naravno da je to pojednostavljivanje. Naravno da najbolje kritike sadrze nadu 
i da najbolja uprizorenja nade sadrze implicitnu kritiku, ali kadje rijec oformi 
ostaje nejasno koja je od ove dvije varijante progresivnija. 

Kada sam predstavljao prvi dio ove studije u Zagrebujedna osoba iz 
publike komentirala je nacin na koji sam prezentirao pitanje novea u 
predstavama - od nematerijalnih/nevidljivih transakeija na burzi, gdje novae 
moze ispariti u promjenama burzovnih indeksa, kao kod prva tri primjera, do 
fizickog unistavanja novea u drugom primjeru - da joj zvuci kao neka vrsta 
regresije koja se koristi u psihoterapiji (od sadasnjeg trenutka prema 
proslosti, od virtualnog novea do gotovine). On se pitao hoce li sljedeci korak 
ove kulturne terapije biti povratak na jos jednostavnije oblike - na razmjenu 
dobara. 

Pitam se, mogu li razmjene medu radikalnom Ijevicom na Fringe 
festivalu, gdje se svi zaista trude da ne naplacuje vise negoli je potrebno (u 
slucaju Forest Fringea, ulaznice su "plati koliko mozes") ili "razmjena rada" na 
mnogim drugim mjestima na kojima izvodaci jedni druge gledaju besplatno, 
posluziti kao protomodel necega takvog. 


54 


Staging capital 

Andrew Haydon 


Staging capital 

Andrew Haydon 



9 September 2008: I was in Nitra, Slovakia and had 
just seen Sebastian Nubling's German production of 
Simon Stephens's play Pornography, which was 
inspired by the 7/7 London bombings. A group of us 
went to a low-ceilinged cellar bar across the town 
square from the large Communist-era theatre where 
it had played and enjoyed the low exchange rate of 
euro or pounds sterling for the now-defunct 
Slovenska koruna. At about midnight, someone got a text saying that the US 
congress/senate had voted against the Emergency Economic Stabilization 
Act: the American government had refused to "bail out Wall St". The US Stock 
Market dropped 8 percent, the largest drop since Black Monday in 1987. We 
stood in the bar with our pockets full of koruna and wondered what the hell 
would happen next. 

As it transpired, this marked the beginning of the end for a topic that 
had dominated the British and American stage since shortly after g/n: the 
"war on terror". Stories about Afghanistan, the invasion of Iraq, the 
radicalisation of Islamic Britons, Guantanamo Bay, torture, extraordinary 
rendition, had been the most prevalent subject matter for seven years. 
Productions of Shakespeare would be dressed in desert fatigues, new 
translations of classical Greek plays would make frequent use of buzzwords 
like "insurgent", "illegal combatant" and "enhanced interrogation techniques". 

The "credit crunch" killed all that. As subjects the Iraq War and yank¬ 
bashing were already starting to look dramatically exhausted. But as 
Stephens's Pornography had just shown, there were still plenty of new ways 
into exploring this strange, unexpected rupture in Britain's national psyche. 

As it was, Pornography was the last major British play to really reflect 
primarily on either the events of 7/7, radical Islam, the war on terror, and so 


Frakcija #68/69 

Art & Money 


on. 







Staging capital 

Andrew Haydon 


Frakcija #68/69 

Art & Money 


55 


* * * 

Forward one year: It's Autumn '09. We're in the UK watching the new 
season's shows. What last year had been referred to as "the credit crunch" 
has been turned by some sort of strange osmosis into "the financial crisis". 
The new London season looks understandably eager to demonstrate its up- 
to-the-minute credentials and offers plays examining the sorry state of the 
finance sector. 

There are three main pieces I want to consider in this section: the 
production Money, made by site-specific company Shunt; Rupert Coold's 
production of ENRON, a new play by the young British dramatist Lucy 
Prebble; and finally, The Power of Yes - a new verbatim piece created by 
veteran playwright David Hare. 

It is worth noting first that the three pieces are quite dissimilar. 

Between them they represent a fair spread of the work that is/was being 
produced in Britain at the end of the 21st century's first decade. 

At the same time, it is also worth noting that all three pieces could be 
seen as adaptations. Shunt's Money is a straight-up response to Emile Zola's 
novel of the same name (L 'argent), Lucy Prebble's ENRON, though 
speculative, is based on real events, and on meticulous research into those 
events. Although some cynics have suggested it is simply an adaptation of 
the film Enron/The Smartest Cuys in the Room. And The Power of Yes, as an 
example of verbatim theatre, is an adaptation of recent real life. Indeed this 
piece even went so far as to include actor Anthony Calf "playing" its author 
David Hare on stage, going about, as instructed by the real David Hare's 
script, to recreate versions of conversations that he (the real David Hare) had 
had with various bankers, financial journalists, economists and financiers a 
few months earlier. 

Shunt's Money was as much an event and an installation as it was "a 
play", as most British theatregoers might understand the term. The piece 
took the form of a newly made three-storey construction that Shunt built for 
themselves within their new premises - a warehouse near London Bridge in 
central south London. The (relatively small) audience would enter the first 
room, be plunged into pitch darkness, noises played at great volume and 
when the lights returned they would be surprised to find themselves in a 
room totally different to the one they entered. From here scenes would play 
in front of them and then they would be moved into a new room. Somehow, 
the building or machine within which they moved gave very little hint as to 
where they were within it. Thanks to this, sudden vertigo-inducing changes 
of perspective became the show's stock-in trade. 

How much or how little this actually related to Zola's novel by the time I 
saw it, a few nights after press night, is moot. Certainly it was inspired by the 
novel. Equally certainly, you didn't come away from the piece feeling that you 
were now au fait with the book's plot. 

As a result, the whole thing was clearly motivated - at least in part - by 
a desire to animate some set of feelings relating to the traffic of commerce - 
rooms in which audience members are invited to drink champagne, scenes 
where they watch furious arguments about the future of their company, etc. 
But, really, while it felt like a triumph of design and visual theatre, its actual 
relation to either the new crisis or the troubles related by the novel felt 
strangely absent. 


56 


Staging capital 

Andrew Haydon 


Frakcija #68/69 

Art & Money 


* * * 

By comparison, Lucy Prebble's play, ENRON - a dramatisation of the fall of 
the eponymous American power company - was exactly the right play at 
exactly the right time. The story of ENRON was a microcosm of everything 
that had just gone wrong for the American financial markets with the sub¬ 
prime mortgage scandal. The posters of the play bore the tag-line: "There 
was a warning. And its name was Enron". The curious thing is that Prebble 
had started work on the piece three years before it premiered at the 
Chichester Festival Theatre in a co-production with the Royal Court and 
director Rupert Coold's company Headlong. Prebble candidly admits that the 
version of Enron that was published and produced was something like her 
ngth version of the script. Prebble is a famously meticulous re-writer. But this 
raises the question of the play's intentional relevance. Certainly the scene in 
which the Lehmann Brothers turn up, played - as was typical for Coold's 
visually imaginative production - by two actors done up together in one suit, 
sharing a shirt with two neck-holes - raised extra laughs as that bank had 
since collapsed and gone into administration, but that was nothing but (from 
Prebble and Coold's perspective) happy coincidence. Lehmann Brothers 
would have been in the story whether they had just collapsed or not. Perhaps 
their stage-time would have been dramatically reduced, but since the story 
was fact, then it is the terrible prescience of history, rather than the 
dramatist, that made it effective. 

In short, at the time when the project was embarked upon, it was little 
more than a rattling good story, with a few general lessons for us all about 
where greed and dishonesty might get you, capitalism or no capitalism. This 
was no agit-prop objection to the financial markets themselves; more a plea 
to those within them not to abuse the rules. It certainly wasn't 
commissioned to reflect the status quo. But, thanks to Prebble's re-writes 
and the long commission time, when it was finally produced it turns out that 
all the polishing had created a perfect mirror. 


oi Andrew Haydon, "The Power of 
Yes - National Theatre", 
Postcards from the Cods, io 
October 2009, http:// 
postcardsgods.blogspot. 
com/20og/io/power-of-yes- 
national-theatre.html [accessed 
18 October 2013], 


* * * 

The final piece in the autumn 2009 season I want to consider was created for 
the National Theatre with the specific intention of looking at the financial 
crisis. It was a piece of verbatim theatre - in this case, just a series of 
transcribed interviews, subsequently shaped by interviewer and author David 
Hare to his satisfaction. The subtitle of the piece is "a dramatist seeks to 
understand the financial crisis". Going back to my original review 1 1 notice: 
"Given how pressing the issues are, it is strange how uninteresting The Power 
of Yes manages to make them. This is because the whole thing is mediated 
through "David Hare" - this fictional construct of an actual playwright. It's 
not about the financial crisis, it's about his interest in it. And it feels like that's 
the thing we should be interested in. It's about him feeling for us. He gets 
cross on our behalf too, to absolutely no real effect. Perhaps his impotence is 
also our impotence." 

The Power of Yes was a big, direct, obvious National Theatre commission 
addressing the fact of "the financial crisis" head-on. They took one of their 
most well-known "political" writers, sent him out with a notebook to get a 
bunch of specific answers to specific questions about this specific issue. At 


Staging capital 

Andrew Haydon 


Frakcija #68/69 

Art & Money 


57 


the time, part of the reason for its artistic failure was director Angus 
Jackson's worrying lack of any real direction whatsoever. 

Another problem with the approach, however, was the script's 
assumption of more or less total ignorance on the part of the audience. It 
was largely a matter of someone just asking questions about "why" the crash 
had happened. And, since the piece was largely aimed at an educated, 
bourgeois audience, many of whom in all probability worked in the financial 
sector or, if not, who probably at least watched the news and read 
newspapers, it probably spent most of its duration running not-very- 
interestingly over ground of which its audience was probably well aware. 

What analysis there was tended to be personal, emotive and anecdotal. 
It didn't have the classical tragic structure of ENRON, which, by focussing on 
several strong human stories at least gave audiences a take on why the 
company collapsed. And it certainly had none of the visual appeal of Shunt's 
Money. Nonetheless, at the end of watching all three of these pieces 
audiences had little more than the fact that there was a crisis confirmed. It 
felt that aside from a bit of well-meaning tutting that things had been 
allowed to get to this stage, there was no concept anywhere of resistance to 
the crisis, to the recession, or to the structures that had allowed it to happen 

* * * 

In part, this is because in 2009 Britain still had a Labour government. And one 
which had hitherto been praised over the past 12 years for its record of 
financial "prudence". The former chancellor and short-lived Prime Minister, 
Cordon Brown, once claimed that he had abolished boom-and-bust . 2 1 
suspect, that, because British Theatre is almost invariably left-leaning and 
because, after 12 years of "soft" capitalism; because of "caring" social policies; 
because the further-left's anger had been focussed on the concrete problem 
of Blair's neo-imperialist adventure in Iraq - for all these reasons, I suspect 
that the recession was seen as "a bit of an unfair ambush" on what Cordon 
Brown had been trying to do with the Treasury. 

These perceptions were thrown into sharp relief by the outcome of the 
2010 General Election. The Labour Party, under the unelected and deeply 
unpopular Cordon Brown, who had taken over leadership from Tony Blair 
mid-term after the latter's 2005 election victory, was defeated by the 
Conservatives, who took power in a coalition with the Liberal Democrats. 

Conservative leader David Cameron was elected on a platform of 
"compassionate Conservatism", proposing that he was a human face for "The 
Nasty Party", so it was hoped that in a best-case scenario what would follow 
would be more of the same, further tempered by the addition of the 
theoretically left-leaning Liberal Democrats holding the balance of power. 

The popularity of the Blair administration (such as it was) had rested 
largely on its early domestic policies. It had reversed Section 28; sanctioned 
civil partnerships; instituted a national minimum wage and had increased 
funding for the National Health Service, education, and even, remarkable as it 
now seems, the arts. However, at the same time it had introduced university 
tuition fees, continued to practice soft regulation in the City and had 
advocated public/private partnerships as an answer to questions of state 
ownership. 


02 Deborah Summers, No return 
to boom and bust: what Cordon 
Brown said when he was 
chancellor", Guardian, n 
September 2008, http://www. 
guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/ 
sep/n/gordonbrown.economy 
[accessed 18 October 2013], 


58 


Staging capital 

Andrew Haydon 


Frakcija #68/69 

Art & Money 


As Slavoj Zizek, writing in the LRB in 2007 suggested: 

It was Tony Blair who was able to institutionalise [the Thatcher 
revolution], or, in Hegel's terms, to raise (what first appeared as) a 
contingency, a historical accident, into a necessity. Thatcher wasn't a 
Thatcherite, she was merely herself; it was Blair (more than Major) who 
truly gave form to Thatcherism. 3 

The election of David Cameron as Prime Minister suddenly made these 
uncomfortable facts unavoidable. Where before the "political" wing of British 
theatre had been content to sleepwalk through the economic facts of 
Labour's time in power, basking in the general atmosphere of prosperity, 
contentment and social improvement - or else, focussing its ire entirely on 
the torture and human rights abuses being commissioned by the British and 
Americans abroad - this change of emphasis suddenly made resistance not 
only more imaginable but necessary. 

By November of 2010 London had been the scene of several student 
protests over the proposed increase of tuition fees from around £3.000 a 
year to £9.000. These protests were widely reported as riots. Photos of 
smashed windows and fires reflecting in the visors of black, combat-suited 
policemen armed with riot shields and batons covered the front pages of the 
national press. 

The following summer, shortly before the Edinburgh Festival in August 
2on, the country was rocked by another string of riots. Nominally sparked by 
the shooting of a young black man, Mark Duggan, by the Metropolitan Police, 
these riots quickly became detached from that event, springing up in diverse 
parts of London and elsewhere in the country - looking more like unfocussed 
expressions of rage against the recession, against an oppressive form of 
consumer capitalism by an oppressed demographic who barely figured in 
government thinking. It was significant that these "riots" sometimes took 
the form of vast, unregulated shopping sprees. The front windows of shops 
selling electronic goods and sportswear were smashed and looters reportedly 
helped themselves mostly to wide-screen televisions, expensive trainers, 
iPods and iPhones. Conservative rhetoric about "broken Britain" and "a feral 
underclass" reached a new insistence. 


03 Slavoj Zizek, "Resistance is 
surrender", London Review of 
Books, 15 November 2007, 
http://www.lrb.co.uk/v29/n22/ 
slavoj-zizek/resistance-is- 
surrender [accessed 18 October 
2013], 


* * * 

I propose that it was from the midst of this tumult that the second tranche 
of performances sprang. Where the first set of pieces offered abstract, 
humane, or simple, dry accounts of the facts underlying the Credit Crunch/ 
Financial Crisis/Recession, these new pieces seemed to function more as 
aggressive responses to the experience of it. 

It is also worth noting at the outset that these Responses" also sprang 
from a slightly different sector of British Theatre. With the exception of Shunt 
(who occupy an interesting structural position within British theatre - 
existing half-way between the mainstream and the avant garde - with, on 
the one hand, total artistic freedom, but on the other, their ticket sales being 
handled by the National Theatre and their pieces being subject to review by 
the conservative first-string critics of the national press, they have a kind of 
official licence to create abrasive, discordant work) the pieces were part of 
"mainstream British Theatre". They existed as part of the lineage of theatre 
that follows on from the "Royal Court Revolution" of 1956, or the tradition of 


Staging capital 

Andrew Haydon 


Frakcija #68/69 

Art & Money 


59 


British textual theatre; the primacy of the playwright; the tradition of 
"serving the text". It is telling, for example, that in spite of the collaborative 
nature of Coold and Prebble's first production of ENRON, the script for that 
piece actually includes virtually every move that might be attributable to a 
director, written down as part of the script - an interesting British 
compromise, perhaps, with the playwright effectively "signing-off" on every 
conceivable aspect that might otherwise be taken to be a "directorial excess" 
(something to which MSM [mainstream media] British critics are notoriously 
allergic). 

The work I'm about to discuss springs, by contrast, from a different and 
more muddled tradition/sector: one that might variously be described as 
"Live Art" and/or "Alternative Theatre". This is perhaps a division which is 
more emphasised in Britain than elsewhere in Europe, but even in Germany 
there is a marked difference between the work shown at HAU and that seen 
at Deutsches Theater, Berlin, for example. The work we're looking at now 
belongs firmly to the former camp. 


04 Lyn Gardner, "Crunch - review", 
Guardian, i8 August 2on, http:// 
www.guardian.co.uk/ 
culture/2on/aug/n8/crunch- 
forest-fringe-theatre-review 
[accessed i8 October 2013], 

05 Charlotte Higgins, "Crunch time 
at the Edinburgh festival: 
audiences step up to shred 
cash". Guardian, 16 August 2on, 
http://www.guardian.co.uk/ 
culture/2on/aug/n6/crunch- 
edinburgh-festival-shred-cash 
[accessed 18 October 2013], 


* * * 

The first example of this is Gary McNair's Crunch, 4 Crunch was a "performance 
lecture" (or: "lecture") about the financial crisis. It was, as so much of this 
work tends to be, a one-man show. A fact worth noting in itself for its 
economic (and perhaps even social) implications. The significant aspect of 
Crunch, however, is its denouement: members of the audience of the show - 
which was performed for free as part of the programme curated by an 
organisation called Forest Fringe, a collective whose ethos was formulated in 
direct opposition to the increasingly rapacious capitalism of the main 
Edinburgh Fringe Festival - were offered the opportunity to shred some of 
their own money. They were encouraged to get out a five pound note and 
render it un-useable by putting it through an electronic paper shredder. 

There is a fascinating account of this piece on the Guardian's website 
written by their arts correspondent (not theatre critic) Charlotte Higgins. 5 
Perhaps the most interesting thing about this column is the enormous 
amount of opposition to the piece - written almost exclusively by people 
who hadn't seen it - objecting in the strongest possible terms permissable by 
the site's heavy-handed moderators to the very premise that someone might 
choose to destroy some of their own money. There is a sense of palpable 
rage that someone might do this. That, rather than "giving it to charity" or 
"spending it usefully", someone might actually choose to destroy some 
money. The extreme reaction of these readers almost justifies the piece's 
existence single-handedly. 

What's significant is the gesture here. The politely suppressed violence 
(a shredder is hardly a Molotov cocktail, after all) against actual, physical 
money. The most outward symbolism of capitalism available. Of course 
there's also an impotence in the gesture. And an aspect of self-defeat in it: if 
one accepts the logic of capitalism - that you only amount to what you can 
spend - why would anyone choose to reduce themselves? "Why would you 
reduce their capacity to spend?" capitalism asks; and is echoed by the 
outraged "left-liberal" comment-leavers on the Guardian's website. 


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* * * 

The next piece I'd like to consider is another one-man (and, yes, it's another 
man) show - Brian Lobel's Carpe Minuta Prima. This piece is perhaps more an 
interactive installation than a "performance" per se - or rather, it isn't a piece 
where someone stands on stage and says stuff for a set period of time. 
Instead, it consists of Brian, a cash register, a stack of pound coins and a 
secluded booth containing a video camera. The deal is that Brian wants to 
buy a minute of your life for a pound. For the minute that Brian has bought, 
you go and stand in the booth and that minute is filmed. The film of your 
minute can then be burned onto a DVD and sold to someone else, but it is no 
longer yours. What you do in the booth is entirely up to you. Brian says that 
responses to being filmed, to having sold a minute of their life, range from 
people standing still doing nothing to someone taking their clothes off and 
dancing. 

In the case of such an "open" piece, there's no real opportunity for the 
artist to explicitly state a single intended reading of the piece - audience 
responses to it will depend largely on any given participant's capacity for and 
predisposition toward abstract thought. 

However, it isn't too much of a stretch to imagine that it offers a basis 
from which to reflect on our relationship to money. To what we'll do for 
money. To our relationship to payment within capitalism. Indeed, it is 
perhaps the clearest illustration imaginable of Marx's analysis that capitalism 
pays for workers" time rather than for their labour or output. 

Again, what is significant, and what differentiates this piece from the 
first three pieces I described is that it foregrounds/makes the audience 
member's actual real-world interaction and encounter with actual, physical, 
spendable money. Of course the first three pieces (Money, ENRON, The Power 
of Yes) cost money (considerably more than a shredded fiver, in fact) and 
took time (considerably more than a minute for which one is paid), but 
functioning within the mainstream this aspect of the shows remains 
submerged and even perhaps deliberately obscured and/or forgotten. 

One is reminded of Nicholas Ridout's analysis that: 

(...) the theatre is an economic subsector in which work is clearly 
alienated. Picking up on this perception one notes how the employee's 
time is regulated with rigorous force by bells and curtains, how both the 
rehearsal process and the nightly routine of performances are 
dominated by repetitive activity, how wage levels are set in structures 
of extreme differentiation, how these are maintained by a huge pool of 
surplus labour which renders effective industrial organisation 
impossible, and how the core activity itself is both a metaphor of 
alienation and alienation itself: the actor is paid to appear in public 
speaking words written by someone else and executing physical 
movement which has at the very least usually been subjected to intense 
and critical scrutiny by a representative of the management who 
effectively enjoys the power of hiring and firing. The actor is both sign 
and referent of the wholly alienated wage slave. 6 


06 Nicholas Ridout, Stage Fright, 
Animals and Other Theatrical 
Problems (Cambridge: 
Cambridge University Press, 
2006), p. loo. 


Staging capital 

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* * * 

The last piece I'd like to consider in this section is a piece called Money: The 
Gameshow, which was shown at the Bush theatre in January 2013. 

The show combined two parts. One was a fairly straight-forward 
scripted drama following the lives of two made-up/fictitious bankers 
through the financial crisis in a number of scenes not unlike those in ENRON 
three years earlier. 

However, combined with this was the "Gameshow" element. On the 
stage was £10.000 in pound coins (ten-thousand pound coins is a 
disappointingly smaller pile than you would expect, by the way). The 
audience was divided into two teams, seated on opposite sides of the stage, 
each team led by one of the performers. Each of the games both bluntly and 
obliquely illustrated and echoed the standard practices undertaken by 
hedge-funds in the run up to the financial crisis. "Going long", "shorting" and 
etc. Most games also depended on the ongoing buoyancy of various sorts of 
bubbles prior to their bursting. Soap bubbles were kept aloft, balloons blown 
up as fast as possible by competing audience members, etc. You get the 
picture. 

What distinguishes Money: The Gameshow from the other two pieces in 
this section - fittingly, as it anatomised hedge funds (and was more akin to 
"proper theatre" than the previously discussed two "Live Art" pieces) was that 
none of the audience's own money was at stake. We would invest in the 
competitive games and the team spirit, but at the end of the day it didn't 
materially affect us who won. 

Nevertheless, the piece fits this category as much as McNair's Crunch 
since the games took large amounts of real coinage and batted them around 
the stage with real abandon. Again, the frisson of the physical interaction 
with actual cash was generated. Especially since it was such a ludicrously 
large amount, theoretically - the entire production budget, we were told 
(unlikely, since it barely covers a standard writer's fee in the UK). Here we saw 
real money - representing the minimum annual income that qualifies the 
earner for tax payment - being thrown around and used as chips in a foolish 
gameshow. In much the same way, we were encouraged to think, as the 
stock markets function. Indeed, if the show made a mistake it is that the 
money was all too real, compared with the hypothetical, invisible amounts 
created and disappeared in the stock market. 


* * * 

In his address to the Stuckemarkt at 20i2's TheaterTreffen entitled "Why 
political theatre is a complete fucking waste of time" the British playwright 
Dennis Kelly observed: 

In 2006 I gave [political theatre] one last crack - I wrote a play called 
Love and Money, it was about our relationship to cash and about debt. 
This, I thought, will change everything. This must mean something. But 
in 2008 the credit crunch happened and now we're all fucked. If only 
you bastards had listened. 

I hope I'm not coming across as a cynical prick. I hate that. I hate 
cynicism, I think it's lazy and un-honest. And actually I really do 
genuinely believe that theatre can change the world. I think it does it on 


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a small scale by changing the lives of people who come into contact 
with it. 7 

And despite the joking, Kelly has a point. As it currently stands, British 
theatre's relationship to capital and capitalism is a bit like Laibach/NSK's 
radical over-identification, but with the satire missing. 

Put simply, British theatre is too capitalist to effectively critique 
capitalism. At its worst, it reproduces all the structures of capitalism: it 
charges more money for better seats; actors, directors and performers are 
paid varying amounts depending on their status; and so on. It is an anti¬ 
establishment form fashioned almost exclusively from internalised 
hierarchies. 

At the same time, even when it professes anti-capitalism and has 
undone those structures which would undermine its message, it then all too 
often allows capitalism, or crisis-thinking to set the terms of the argument. 
British theatres and theatre companies seem to spend so much time 
accepting the terms of someone else's questions - filling in funding forms 
and justifying themselves as useful, high-yield part of the economy that they 
have no way of arguing against them. As agents of serious or meaning 
change they become entirely neutered. 


07 "Denis Kelly opens the 

Stuckemarkt", Theatertreffen 
Blog, 10 May 2012, http://www. 
theatertreffen-blog.de/tt12/ 
english-posts/dennis-kelly- 
opens-the-stuckemarkt/ 
[accessed 18 October 2013], 

08 Frank Cottrell Boyce, "Margaret 
Thatcher never liked her 
country", Guardian, 14 April 2013, 
http://www.guardian.co.uk/ 
commentisfree/20i3/apr/i4/ 
thatcher-never-liked-her- 
country [accessed 18 October 
2013], 


* * * 

Writing in the week of former Conservative leader and British Prime Minister 
Margaret Thatcher's all-but State Funeral, Frank Cottrell-Boyce, the man who 
"wrote" the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games (as well as 
the best British film of the past decade: 24 Hour Party People ), made the 
following observation: 

Real dictators have to pay artists to mythologise them. Maggie simply 
sucked them into her orbit. She may not have provided the arts with 
cash, but she certainly gave them plenty of material. Why didn't this 
work? Why wasn't she mocked out of power in the way that, to some 
extent, John Major was? Maybe by talking about her so much, by letting 
her fill so much of the cultural space, her enemies only made it harder 
to imagine life without her. Like the IRA's failed assassination attempt, it 
just made her look stronger. They made her out to be the devil and 
forgot that the devil has the best tunes. 

There are conservatives on both front benches who simply don't get 
this country. They've retreated from it into fortified Cotswold 
Trumptons and they pass laws designed to make us more like the 
United States. They call us "broken Britain" or talk about "making Britain 
great again". We are great - just not in the way they want us to be. 8 

Cottrell-Boyce's central point is a strong one, made all the more effective by 
the reality of the Opening Ceremony for the London Olympic Games 2012. 
Rather than containing analysis of myriad social ills - the recession, the crisis 
of capitalism, the evils of social conservatism - or dramatic representations 
of them, the Olympic Opening Ceremony instead did something I don't think 
I've ever consciously seen done before: it showed a version of Britain that felt 
recognisable, left-wing and accurate. Rather than showing old-fashioned 
stereotypes and then spending a lot of time attacking them, it instead 
accentuated all the possible positives, replaced stale cliches with modern 


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63 


realities, and then let us all feel surprisingly proud of them. Admittedly, it did 
this through the medium of a deeply strange, pageant-like, song, dance and 
fireworks extravaganza entirely in keeping with the tradition of Olympic 
opening ceremonies (although the filmed section which appeared to show 
the Queen parachuting into the stadium with Daniel Craig's James Bond was 
perhaps an innovation), but the medium didn't seem to be the point here. It 
was the unprecedented way that the piece completely reframed the terms of 
the national identity, with the added bonus that it did so in front of a global 
audience. 

* * * 

It is now the present day. I am in Edinburgh for the Festivals. It is August, 

2013: five years on from where this essay started, in Nitra, in Slovakia, in 
2008. 

Looking around at this year's Festival Fringe, it seems that the question 
of actual money has moved. I am writing a piece called "Two Left Turns" 
based on a pair of welcome speeches made at the Fringe. The first is by the 
famous British playwright Mark Ravenhill, the second is by Lome Campbell, 
the artistic director of Northern Stage, a theatre in Newcastle, which has 
curated a programme of work at its own makeshift venue. 

Ravenhill's speech is spiky, oppositional polemic: 

Capitalism has experienced its biggest economic crisis since the 1930s 
depression, a depression which brought us genocidal dictatorships and 
world war. Our world, in ways that we can't yet understand, is totally 
different from the one we were living in six or seven years ago. The 
paradigm has shifted and new ways of living and behaving are going to 
be needed if we're going to make our way forward. There's no possibility 
of pressing a restart button and going back to - when exactly? What 
about 2005? When it was all really lovely and that nice New Labour 
were in power and the economy seemed to doing splendidly and the 
arts were really, you know, valued... we're going to be making our art in 
increasingly tough times for at least a decade or more... 

But let's look on this as a good thing. Didn't the arts become safe and 
well behaved during the New Labour years? I think they did. I think they 
weren't telling the truth - the dirty, dangerous, hilarious, upsetting, 
disruptive, noisy, beautiful truth - as often as often as they should have 
done. Why? Because most artists are decent, liberal, if only everyone 
were nicer to each other and let's heal it with a hug sort of folk and so 
voted New Labour. And when New Labour came in to power... for a few 
years there was a modest but real terms increase in government 
funding for the arts. And we artists were so grateful for that relatively 
modest bit of attention and money that we changed substantially what 
and who we were as artists. 

Ravenhill proposes that we: "thank god we've got a government in 
Westminster that we can properly hate and whole-heartedly attack. Because 
anger and hatred are some of the best fuel for the artist." 

Campbell's speech, by contrast, is more conciliatory, or rather, more like 
Frank Cottrell-Boyce's thought that we should be making something new, 
rather than opposing something old. He lists a short selection of the appalling 
things being done by the current government but ends on a note of hope: 






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And yet, in the middle of all of that. This happens. Audiences and Artists 
of every race, colour and creed travel to this place, this Athens of the 
north, to meet, to barter themselves, to change and be changed. To act 
like citizens, not customers and service providers. This glorious 
unplanned civic moment that becomes ever more precious as it grows 
ever more rare. A space in which we are invited to imagine and 
experience ourselves in new liberating and terrifying ways. That is the 
space we are thanking our friends for helping us to form, that is the 
space we will try to inhabit for the next three weeks and that is the 
space we would like to invite you to join us in. 

In fairness, Ravenhill also proposes that artists re-imagine the world, but I 
would like to propose that these two schools of thought on the left are 
interestingly opposed. 

On one hand there is confrontation and criticism, and on the other hand 
there is setting about knowing what the problems are, but making work 
which tables the alternative, rather than engaging with the terms of 
questions whose premises are false. 

It was a surprise, for example, in the Olympic Opening Ceremony - 
which I'm prepared to concede had its flaws - to see, not a critique of the 
problems of dismantling the National Health Service, but instead a full- 
hearted endorsement of it via the medium of a large scale song-and-dance 
number featuring hundreds of performers dressed as nurses pushing 
countless iron bedsteads around. The idea that a pageant of "Britishness" 
would genuinely re-imagine Britain away from a lot of cliches from the ngth 
and early 20th century and instead mythologise our multicultural, largely 
left-liberal way of life seemed like one of the most radical theatrical 
approaches - given the context - that anyone saw last year. Of course we 
could carp and critique the detail, but overall gesture seemed at once 
subversive and to be doing no more than affirming on a massive scale all the 
best things that we already knew to be the case - that for the most part, 
British society isn't racist, selfish, homophobic or discriminatory, but 
inclusive, left-leaning, generous and open. And the act of presenting this as 
the case seemed - certainly for a good few months afterwards - to make it 
more and more possible to believe and behave as if this was the case. The 
problem with continually acknowledging, critiquing and fighting the 
problems facing society is that you/one/the artist gets sucked into seeing 
nothing but the problems. And runs the risk, at the same time as committing 
to being opposed, to secretly losing hope that their opposition will achieve 
anything in the face of such insuperable odds. 

The alternative (assuming a clear black-and-white division which 
doesn't really exist), the Lome Campbell route, is to assume a generosity on 
the part of others. To think that "making a difference" is not best achieved by 
telling/showing everyone in an audience what's wrong, but by making 
theatre in a different, more ethical way; or perhaps making theatre which 
ignores the despair and engenders hope. 

I would propose that traditionally, recently, British theatre has been 
eaten up by continually engaging with The Problem. Items at this year's 
Edinburgh Fringe like Christopher Haydon's production of George Brant's 
Grounded (an American drone pilot's gradual descent into psychosis); Ramin 
Gray's production of The Events by David Greig (a slippery, multi-layered 
examination of a massacre analogous to that carried out by Anders Breivik in 
2on), Chris Thorpe's There Has Possibly Been an Incident (intercut monologues 


Frakcija #68/69 

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65 


about, again Breivik, Tiananmen Square, the overthrow of a dictatorship 
becoming a dictatorship itself) - all compelling piece of theatre which I 
wouldn't want to lose from the national theatre ecology, but at the same 
time, pieces which ask harrowing questions and stare so hard into man's 
blackest soul that they scarely offer any hope whatsoever, perhaps apart 
from their own existence, signifying the willingness of artists to keep on 
asking difficult questions. 

Ranged against these are piece like a smith's 10 Commonwealth, which 
narrates the hopefulness of the audience sitting in the theatre watching it. 

Or Chris Goode's 9 which took nine members of the Leeds community living 
around the theatre which had commissioned the piece and simply dignified 
them and their stories by staging those participants telling them themselves: 
All [the] facilities and equipment [of the West Yorkshire Playhouse], its 
artists and administrators and technicians, possibly even its audience as 
well, have been placed at the disposal of and devoted to these nine 
individuals. That's a major regional theatre with a £1.5 million annual 
government subsidy turned over for the sake and service of its constitu¬ 
ents in a way I have never seen anywhere else ever... You can see the 
thrill, the relish, the mischief every one of them takes in holding an audi¬ 
ence and in simply being heard... It is extraordinary and watching it has 
completely changed my understanding of what theatre is capable of. 9 

Or perhaps ranged against this most clearly are venue ventures like Northern 
Stage itself, or Forest Fringe, which defy the capitalist logic of the Fringe 
Festival, which is presented repeatedly as both an inevitability and a virtue; 
where the "democracy" of the free-market is repeatedly hailed. Places where, 
whatever the precise nature of the work that you actually see inside the 
venue is, the very fact of the venue and its organisational structure remaking 
the model of how theatres function is the point at which you/audiences 
begin to understand how the world can be re-imagined. 


* * * 

Of course, this is a simplification. Of course the best critiques contain a hope, 
and the best manifestations of hope contain an implicit critique, but in terms 
of form it seems that there's a question over which sort of emphasis is more 
progressive. 

When I presented the first two parts of this paper in Zagreb, one of the 
invited audience commented that the way I had framed the sorts of money 
being presented - from the intangible/invisible transactions of the stock 
markets of the first three examples, where money could disappear at the 
drop of an index; through to the emphasis in the second set where tangible 
cash money was battered - sounded like the sort of regression used in 
psycho-therapy: working back from the present moment through the past 
(from electronic money to cash). Fie wondered if the next stage of this 
cultural therapy might be a return to even more basic forms - to bread and 
gold and bartering. 

I wonder if the exchanges of the radical left on the Fringe Festival, 
where every effort is made to avoid charging more than necessary (in the 
case of Forest Fringe, the tickets are "pay-what-you-can"), or the "labour 
exchange" at many other venues where performers can see each others' 
shows for free, could be framed as be a proto-model of this. 


09 Matt Trueman, "9 - West 
Yorkshire Playhouse", Matt 
Trueman Blog, 30 April 2012, 
http://matttrueman.co. 
uk/2012/04/9-west-yorkshire- 
playhouse.html [accessed 18 
October 2013]. 

10 Andy Smith 


















































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Pregled brodvejske ekonomije 
i komercijalnog modela produkcije 

Annie Dorsen 


Frakcija #68/69 

Umjetnost i novae 


Pregled brodvejske 
ekonomije i 
komercijalnog 
modela produkcije 

Annie Dorsen 

S engleskog prevela Mirna Herman 


proljece 2004. zapocela sam rad na glazbeno- 
kazalisnoj predstavi zajedno s bendom "The Negro 
Problem" kojeg cine Heidi Rodewald i Mark Stewart, 
poznatiji kao Stew. Angazirao ih je The Public Theater 
iz New Yorka, a mene su pozvali da vodim proces 
pisanja teksta te da kasnije i reziram. Poceli smo u 
podrumskom prostoru, skriveni u kutku labirinta 
kazalista Public, a meni se cinilo da u pocetku Public 
nije polagao velike nade u to da ce nasa suradnja dovesti do necega velikog. U 
New Yorku sam bila relativno poznata kao reziserka downtown Manhattana, a 
Stew i Heidi su imali ponesto vjernih obozavatelja. Medutim, ocekivanja su bila 
skromna i pomalo nalik ocekivanjima za neki kabaretski komad koji bi se izvodio 
u Joe's Pubu, 1 kazalisnom glazbenom baru Public-a. 



oi Joe's Pubje nocni klub unutar 
zgrade Public Theatera te 
predstavlja mjesavinu glazbe i 
performansa, bendova, pjevaca, 
govorene rijeci, kabareta. 
Passing Strange je bila prva 
producentska suradnja kluba i 
kazalista. 


Pregled brodvejske ekonomije 
i komercijalnog modela produkcije 

Annie Dorsen 


Frakcija #68/69 

Umjetnost i novae 


69 


02 Pod "simbiotskim popratnim 
djelatnostima" podrazumijevam 
uglavnom profesije povezane s 
turizmom. U sezoni 20io./n. 
turisti koji su u New York dosli 
prvenstvenstveno da bi vidjeli 
neku predstavu na Broadwayju 
potrosili su gotovo sest milijuna 
dolara na popratne usluge kao 
sto su prijevoz, hoteli, restorani i 
kupovina. Ta brojka ne ukljucuje 
novae potrosen na ulaznice. Vidi 
http://www.broadwayleague. 
com/index.php?url_ 
identifier=broadway-s- 
economic-contribution-to-new- 
york-city [pristupljeno 15. lipnja 
2014.]- 


Nakon prve rezideneije i neformalne prezentaeije ocekivanja su pocela 
rasti te nas se usmjeravalo prema nesto agresivnijem radnom procesu. U 
naredne cetiri godine glazbeno-kazalisni komad prerastao je u mjuzikl nazvan 
Passing Strange, i mi smo se s vremenom preselili iz podruma na jednu od 
gornjih pozornica, a potom i na broadvejski repertoar. 

Nas cetverogodisnji put, zapocet malim eksperimentalnim projektom 
koji je narucila neprofitna organizaeija, omogucio nam je neobican uvid u 
nacin unutarnjeg funkeioniranja komercijalnog kazalista i interakeije 
neprofitnog i komercijalnog sektora. Stew i Heidi dosli su s klupske rock 
scene, ja iz jednog manjeg njujorskog kazalista, a nitko od nas troje nije imao 
velikih ambieija za uspjeh na Broadwayu. Vrijeme provedeno u tom okruzenju 
smatrala sam nekom vrstom antropoloskog istrazivanja. (Cini se, doduse, da 
je Stew prilicno zagrizao buduci da trenutno radi na dva nova mjuzikla s 
ciljem da zaigraju na Broadwayju.) 

Zapanjuje me koliko sam u to vrijeme slabo razumjela konkretan nacin 
funkeioniranja komercijalnog kazalista unatoc sjeni koju je oduvijek bacalo na 
njujorsko kazaliste. Toje jedna od onih neobicnih stvari na koje cesto 
nailazimo u tom svijetu - finaneijski aranzmani obavijeni su velom tajne. 
Mozda je rijec o tome, kao sto bi se dalo ocekivati od svake organizaeije 
usmjerene na ostvarivanje profita, da unutarnji krug ukljucenih osoba zeli 
sacuvati svoje poslovne tajne. A mozda se radi o tome da cijela stvar ne 
funkeionira. Jednoj od producentica Passing Strangea sam rekla da cu pisati o 
tome, a nju je sokiralo da ce nekoga uopce zanimati finaneijski model koji 
tako ocito ne funkeionira . ("No, s druge strane," rekla je, "ipak su to 
Europljani!") 

U stvarnosti brodvejske predstave rijetko kada ostvare zaradu, nitko 
zaista ne vjeruje da je to dobar nacin stvaranja umjetnosti, a svi se vise-manje 
pitaju kako to da cijela stvar vec nije kolabirala pod teretom napuhanih 
troskova i infrastrukture. No, kao sto je slucaj s brojnim nestabilnim 
profesijama, institueijska monolitnost i simbiotske popratne djelatnosti 
odrzavaju cijelu stvar na zivotu. 2 A medu onima ciji ukus i teznje vode u tom 
smjeru nitko nije u stanju osmisliti bolji model funkeioniranja. 

Stoga ovdje nudim pregled brodvejskog poslovanja i komercijalnog 
modela produkcije iz jedne posebne (i atipicne) perspektive. 


* * * 

Jedan od prvih koraka koji producenti poduzimaju kada se odlucuju za novi 
projekt jest da predstavu postave kao trgovacko drustvo s ogranicenom 
odgovornoscu, odnosno kao poslovnu strukturu koja ih stiti od osobne 
odgovornosti u slucaju bilo kakvih gubitaka. U nasem slucaju nazivje bio 
Passing Strange d.0.0.. Nakon toga krecu u potragu za investitorima. Passing 
Strange bio je manji mjuzikl stoje znacilo daje raspolagao proracunom od 
oko 5,6 milijuna dolara. Tipicni broadwayski mjuzikl kosta preko deset 
milijuna dolara, a veliki mjuzikli mogu dosegnuti proracune od trideset, 
pedeset ili cak, kao stoje nedavno bio slucaj sa Spider Manom, sedamdeset i 
pet milijuna dolara. 

Treba napomenuti da mislim daje nas proracun bio oko pet milijuna 
dolara. Tocan iznos nije mi poznat. Moguce je da Stew i Heidi, kao sluzbeni 
autori, raspolazu s tocnijim informaeijama. Glumci i glazbenici bili su suoceni 
s puno gorom situaeijom: projektu su takoder posvetili cetiri godine, a jos su 


Photo: Lidia Rossner, 2012 



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70 


Pregled brodvejske ekonomije 
i komercijalnog modela produkcije 

Annie Dorsen 


Frakcija #68/69 

Umjetnost i novae 


manje bili upuceni u najvaznije odluke koje su utjecale na njihovo vrijeme i 
privatni zivot, da ne spominjemo buduenost komada koji su pomogli izgraditi 
i do kojega im je bilo stalo. 

No, uzet cu pet milijuna dolara kao radnu hipotezu. To je ukupna svota 
koju su producenti morali prikupiti kako bi "kapitalizirali" predstavu. To znaci 
ukupan novae koji im je potreban, ukljucujuci pricuve i rezerve, kako bi 
pokrenuli produkeiju i zapoceli s izvedbama. Ta svota ne ukljucuje tjedne 
tekuce troskove, na sto cu se kasnije vratiti. Kapitalizacija se prikuplja od 
investitora koji se nadaju vratiti ulozeno, malo po malo, od tjedne zarade na 
predstavama nakon sto se komad postavi i pocne igrati. Pod pretpostavkom 
da tjedna zarada postoji. (O tome cu takoder kasnije.) Kao i u svakom drugom 
poslu, iznos tjednog povrata ulozenog ovisi o broju kupljenih dionica, a veliki 
dionicari dobivaju i dodatne povlastice, kako formalne, tako i neformalne, kao 
sto je sudjelovanje na sastancima produkcije i osobno poznanstvo s 
umjetnicima. 

Najam prostorija za probe, fizicku produkeiju (materijale i sindikalno 
organiziranu radnu snagu), marketing i oglasavanje prije premijere, naknade 
izvodacima, autorima, redatelju i dizajnerima producenti placaju iz pocetne 
kapitalizaeije. Kreativni tim, tj. svi osim izvodaca, takoder dobiva predujam za 
tantijeme. Kao sto bi vec trebalo biti jasno iz svih proracunskih stavki koje 
sam navela, troskovi vrtoglavo rastu. Komplicirani ugovori s vlasnicima 
kazalista i sindikatima povisuju cijene. Jedan od najcesce navodenih primjera 
je trosak utovara i postavljanja fizicke produkcije u samo kazaliste koji, 
sukladno postignutim sporazumima, propisuje angaziranje radnika iz 
najmanje tri razlicita sindikata od kojih svaki ima minimalni broj radnika i 
odradenih sati. Utovar u brodvejsko kazaliste moze kostati od dvjesto tisuca 
do milijun dolara. 

Ako je ukupna kapitalizacija prvi broj po vaznosti, odmah nakon nje 
slijede tjedni troskovi i zarada. Novcana svota potrebna da bi se predstava 
igrala jedan tjedan naziva se "the nut". Ta brojka ukljucuje zakup kazalisne 
zgrade, place osoblja i usluge prodaje ulaznica, honorare za glazbenike i 
glumce, tantijeme za autore, popravke i odrzavanje postava i rasvjete, 
honorare za tehnicare, tjedni proracun za marketing, osiguranje i tako dalje i 
tako dalje. Bas sve do toalet papira u zahodima i plasticnih casa u baru. Nasa 
osnovna svota iznosila je negdje oko 285 000 dolara. Sljedeca vazna brojka je 
maksimalna moguca tjedna zarada od prodaje ulaznica ako je rasprodano bas 
svako mjesto na svakoj predstavi po punoj cijeni. Prema brodvejskim 
standardima nase je kazaliste svrstano medu manja s oko 850 sjedecih 
mjesta, a maksimalna tjedna zarada iznosila je oko 750 000 dolara. Sve sto se 
zaradi povrh osnovne svote smatra se zaradom, a profitabilni tjedan znaci 
vece tantijeme za umjetnike i veci povrat za investitore. Treba naglasiti da je 
kod profitabilne predstave kljucno da tjedni operativni troskovi budu niski, a 
buduci da su sindikati koji predstavljaju glumce, glazbenike i pomocno osoblje 
na sceni ili udruge vlasnika brodvejskih kazalista i ostale zainteresirane strane 
vec umnogome utvrdili troskove, onih nekoliko podrueja koja su fleksibilna 
ima veliku vaznost. 

U cijeloj toj racunici shvatila sam da su pravila o tantijemima jedina 
finaneijska inovaeija. Upozorili su me da to ne pokusavam objasniti, no u 
osnovi se radi o sustavu u kojemu producenti na neki nacin stisnu cijelu stvar 
kako bi investitori svoj novae poceli dobivati nazad sto prije i sto brze. Prije su 
umjetnici svaki tjedan primali tantijeme izracunate u postotku bruto zarade. 
Takve velike isplate su cesto utjecale na zaradu od predstave i isplativost 
investitorima. Drugim rijecima, tantijemi isplacivani umjetnicima pojeli bi 


Pregled brodvejske ekonomije 
i komercijalnog modela produkcije 

Annie Dorsen 


Frakcija #68/69 

Umjetnost i novae 


71 


03 Clanak o skidanju Spider Maria i 
buducim planovima: http:// 
www.nytimes.com/2013/rn/20/ 
theater/spider-man-investors- 
shaken-by-projected-6o- 
million-loss.html?_r=o 
[pristupljeno 15. lipnja 2014.]. 

04 Ne znam koliko je vazno 
naglasiti da publika na 
Broadwayju velikom vecinom 
pripada srednjoj klasi bijelaca iz 
predgrada. Ocito je daje to jos 
jedan razlog zbog kojeg je 
Passing Strange, 
nekonvencionalni komad o 
otudenom ernom umjetniku 
tesko nalazio publiku. 


tjednu zaradu pa bi isplativi tjedan odjednom postao neisplativ. Prema novim 
pravilima o tantijemima i autorskim honorarima umjetnici, producenti i 
investitori dijele postotak od zarade, a ne od bruta. Umjetnici dobivaju manje 
novea unaprijed, a investitori uzimaju veci udio sve dok se kapitalizaeija ne 
isplati. Ako taj sretni dan ipak svane, zarada umjetnika se dramaticno poveca. 

Brendirani, masovno popularni mjuzikli jasno pokazuju koliko je tesko da 
takvi projekti uopce donesu zaradu. Spider Man, kapitaliziran sa 75 milijuna, 
donio je zaradu od oko milijun dolara bruto po tjednu i tako posljednje tri 
godine, no nikada nece uspjeti potpuno isplatiti investieiju i poceti donositi 
zaradu jer su mu tjedni tekuci troskovi puno visi od toga. (Uz tuzan kraj price 
kojuje jedan moj prijatelj nazvao "festivalom nesposobnosti i zluradosti," 
Spider Man je skinut s repertoara u sijecnju uz gubitak gotovo cijelog iznosa 
kapitalizacije). 3 Jedna druga predstava, heavy metal satira Rock of Ages, nada 
se zaradi vec cetiri godine, ali jos nije ni blizu povrata pocetne investieije. 
Nasaje predstava skinuta nakon sest mjeseci tijekom kojih je igrala osam 
puta tjedno. Niti jedan tjedan nismo ostvarili zaradu i nismo bili ni blizu tome 
da bilo tko ostvari povrat svoje investieije. 

Moze se ciniti suludim da producenti neku predstavu drze na reportoaru 
mjesecima uz gubitak novea. No, logika postoji. Neprofitabilne predstave 
mogu rasti uz dobru reputaeiju. Jos ako osvoje puno nagrada, posebno Tony 
Award ili nagradu za najbolji novi mjuzikl (Best New Musical), stvari se mogu 
potpuno preokrenuti. Nas je Passing Strange dobio izvrsne kritike, predstavu 
je bio dobar glas te sedam nominaeija za Tony. Daje dobila vise od jedne, tko 
zna, mozda bi i dalje igrala. 4 

Sve u svemu, tek oko petnaest ili dvadeset posto brodvejskih predstava 
uspije vratiti ulozeno. Ima godina kad ne uspije ni jedna predstava. Postoje 
nacini kako projekt i dalje moze zaradivati cak i nakon skidanja s brodvejskog 
repertoara. Tu su regionalne ili medunarodne turneje, prodaja dramaturskog 
predloska i CD-a, licence za amaterske produkcije. No, u velikoj vecini 
slucajeva uspjeh ovisi o uspjehu na Broadwayju - finaneijski neuspjeh na 
Broadwayju poslije tesko prerasta u uspjeh. 

Mozda se pitate zasto onda ljudi investiraju u nesto sto je tako cesto 
osudeno na neuspjeh. Mogli biste zakljuciti i daje ulaganje u brodvejske 
predstave najgluplja stvar koja bi nekome mogla pasti na pamet. Medutim, 
ljudi to ipak cine. Uvijek postoji dugi popis predstava koje su skupile novae 
potreban za kapitalizaeiju i sad samo cekaju da se odredeno brodvejsko 
kazaliste oslobodi (najcesce nakon skidanja s repertoara neke druge neuspjele 
predstave) kako bi mogli poceti prikazivati. A bezbrojni seminari i radionice 
savjetuju potencijalne producente o razlicitim nacinima da se ude i izade iz 
posla. Mozda je gubitak novea na Broadwayju tek pitanje kulturno prestiznog 
nacina da se ostvari porezna olaksica. Za neke to je mozda tek kocka, nesto 
poput pokera s visokim ulozima, s puno proracunskih tablica i premijernim 
zabavama. 

Na neki nacin, Broadway je u jednoj mjeri subvencioniran kao i americki 
neprofitni sektor. Razne korporaeije, zaklade i privatni donatori pomazu 
neprofitne udruge u zamjenu za bolji imidz i porezne olaksice. Broadway 
potpomazu investitori koji ulazu svjesni da su sanse da im se novae vrati vrlo 
male. Vecina investitora koje poznajem na neki je nacin povezana s kazalis- 
tem ili filmom. Multimilijuner koji se bavi upravljanjem investieijskim fondo- 
vima voli pusiti travu i producira filmove. Bivsa glumica koja se bogato udala. 
Takve stvari. Koliko sam shvatila, cini se da oni gubitak prihvacaju kao nesto 
normalno i da ocito uzivajujer mogu sudjelovati na projektu, piti s glazbeni- 
cima, posjecivati svecanosti dodjele nagrada u otmjenoj odjeci i slicno. 


72 


Pregled brodvejske ekonomije 
i komercijalnog modela produkcije 

Annie Dorsen 


Frakcija #68/69 

Umjetnost i novae 


Osim toga, potpuni je mit, usput budi receno, daje komercijalne 
producente i investitore bas briga za umjetnost. Oni najnizi tipovi kojima iz 
ociju vire dolari mozda i postoje, ali ja ih osobno nikad nisam upoznala. Svi 
koje sam upoznala gajili su veliki entuzijazam za umjetnost. Moze biti da su 
imali nekritican, ili ono sto bi oni mogli nazvati "pragmatican", pogled na 
predstavu kao na proizvod, no nisu bili cinicni. Zabrinjavala ih je napetost 
izmedu komercijalnog uspjeha i uspjeha kod publike pa su svake veceri gledali 
predstavu negdje u zadnjim redovima, uzbudeni poputdjece kad bi publika 
pljeskala. 

No postoji drugi nacin na koji se pomaze komercijalnom kazalistu, 
odnosno, njega izravno potpomazu sama neprofitna kazalista. 

U SAD-u neprofitne umjetnicke organizaeije ostvaruju pravo na izuzece 
kod oporezivanja sukladno zakonu s pocetka 20. stoljeca koji je ponesto 
izmijenjen do svog postojeceg oblika 1954. godine. Nikad nismo imali pravi 
javni sustav potpora za umjetnost. Drzavna organizaeija koja financira 
umjetnost ili NEA osnovana je 1965. s proracunom manjim od tri milijuna 
americkih dolara. (U 2013. taj je proracun iznosio 138 milijuna dolara na 
drzavnoj razini i za sve oblike umjetnosti.) Postojala je jasna namjera da se taj 
novae ne upotrijebi za financiranje umjetnosti nego za davanje legitimiteta i 
prestiza umjetnickim organizaeijama kako bi one lakse pronalazile privatne 
donatore koji zauzvrat dobivaju porezne olaksice. 

Takve inovaeije preklopile su se s pokretom za osnivanje tzv. kazalista 
"prve klase" te simfonijskih orkestara, muzeja i baletnih druzina u svakom 
vecem gradu. Mnoga takva kazalista zapocela su s radom kao repertoarne 
kuce, a velik broj su financirali poznati reziseri. Radilo se o nezavisnim 
kucama, svaka je imala svoju povijest, ali vise-manje sve su imale istu misiju 
uvodenja "kvalitete" i "kulture" - dakle, rada koji trziste ne podrzava - u 
druge gradove osim New Yorka. Dobile su status ustanova oslobodenih od 
poreza u skladu s istim poreznim zakonima koji propisuju rad dobrotvornih 
organizaeija i erkava, dakle kao ustanove koje rade za javni interes te se ne 
mogu financirati iz sredstava ostvarenih na trzistu. 

Zapocevsi punom snagom u osamdesetima (postoji nekoliko ranijih 
primjera ovakvih rjesenja), Broadway je poceo koristiti neprofitna regionalna 
kazalista kako bi uspio otpisati troskove sve veceg broja novih produkeija. 
Troskovi na Broadwayju, posebice troskovi rada, daleko su veci od troskova 
neprofitnih institueija. Pod aranzmanom koji se naziva "unapredenje" 
komercijalni producenti ulazu novae u neprofitne produkcije uvjereni da 
podupiru projekt koji ce igrati na Broadwayju. Ako se predstava uspije 
prebaciti na Broadway, pocetna neprofitna kazalisna kuca ima pravo na 
postotak od zarade. Tako brodvejski producent dobiva jeftino i sindikalno 
neorganizirano mjesto gdje se radi na predstavi, a neprofitna kuca dobiva 
dodatnu gotovinu za produkeiju i potencijalno vecu zaradu u nekom trenutku 
kasnije. Danas gotovo svi komercijalni projekti pocinju u neprofitnim 
kazalistima. (Sasvim je drugo pitanje sto se zbiva s iskrivljenom misijom 
takvih kazalista i opravdanoscu njihovog poreznog statusa.) 5 

Najcesce je to dobar posao za neprofitne kuce. Buduci da vladine 
potpore pokrivaju vrlo mali dio operativnih troskova kazalista, vecina 
kazalista trosi nevjerojatnu kolicinu vremena na pronalazenje dodatnog 
novea od bogatih, lokalnih pojedinaca, korporaeija ili zaklada. Injekcija 
gotovine koju moze skupiti komercijalni producent uvelike pomaze u 
balansiranju godisnjih proracuna. 

Medutim, nasu predstavu Passing Strange investitori nisu financirali 
preko aranzmana za unapredenje nego preko dva poznata neprofitna 


05 Vise o poreznim olaksicama za 
umjetnicke organizaeije u SAD-u 
na: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs- 
soi/tehistory.pdf [pristupljeno 
15. lipnja 2014.]. 



Pregled brodvejske ekonomije 
i komercijalnog modela produkcije 

Annie Dorsen 


Frakcija #68/69 

Umjetnost i novae 


73 


06 Veliki dan isplate velikog 
honorara najcesce i nije tako 
velik, barem sto se glumaca tice. 
Mislim da je minimalna zarada 
glumaca na Broadwayju oko 
l 6oo dolara tjedno (oko ^ loo 
eura). To svakako nije 
zanemarivo i barem je tri puta 
vise od onoga sto primaju 
glumci u neprofitnim 
kazalistima. No ne radi se niti o 
basnoslovnim svotama. Velike 
zvijezde mogu, naravno, 
dogovoriti puno vece honorare. 


kazalista. Koproducenti, The Public iz New Yorka i Berkeley Repertory Theater 
iz Kalifornije, dogovorili su nam rezideneije u drugim neprofitnim 
institueijama poput Sundance Theater Laba i Stanford University Live Artsa. 
Do premijere u Publicu u jesen 2007. odradili smo mozda tri ili cetiri 
rezidencijalna programa godisnje tijekom tri godine. Vecina projekata ne 
uspijeva dobiti toliku razine podrske u razvojnoj fazi. Mijesmojerse ravnatelj 
Publica u vrlo ranoj fazi projekta ponadao da cemo igrati na Broadwayju. 
Investicija njegovog kazalista u nas bila je kratkorocno dobra za njihovu 
sezonu, a dugorocno je mogla donijeti komercijalnu dobrobit. 

Drugim rijecima, kao sto je slucaj s vecinom poslova na navodno 
slobodnom trzistu, iza kulisa postoje razni slojevi javne potpore koji odrzavaju 
cijelu strukturu. 

Transfer na Broadway ne donosi korist samo neprofitnom kazalistu koje 
raspolaze noveem. Zapravo, s obzirom na to koliko je malo vjerojatno da ce 
predstava na Broadwayju nesto i zaraditi nakon sto prijede na komercijalnu 
produkeiju, neprofitna organizaeija takoder moze imati finaneijski gubitak. 
Jedina sigurna korist povezana je s prestizem i profilom. Povremeno mi se 
cinilo da su osobe na celu neprofitnih institueija oko nase produkcije na 
Broadwayju pokazivale i vise entuzijazma i nervoze nego sto smo to 
pokazivali Stew i ja. 

U SAD-u se razne kazalisne grane obicno, mozda i nesvjesno, razmatraju 
po odredenoj hijerarhiji - implicitno se od nekoga ocekuje da se "uzdize" iz 
malog eksperimentalnog u veliko, mainstream kazaliste, iz regionalnog u 
njujorsko, iz neprofitnog u komercijalno. Drugim rijecima, kazalista se 
prvenstveno razlikuju po svojoj velicini i znacaju, dok su estetika, etika i 
namjere tek u drugom planu. 

Djelomicno je tomu tako zbog kompleksnih veza izmedu neprofitnih i 
komercijalnih kazalista i nacina na koji su te dvije sfere cvrsto isprepletene. 
Djelomicno je razlog vezan uz poteskoce na koje umjetnici nailaze ako zele 
zivjeti od svog rada u neprofitnom sektoru - cak i prestizna kazalista jako 
slabo placaju, pa se kod vecine stvara dojam da moraju pothitno poceti raditi 
na necem velikom i isplativom. 6 Po mom misljenju, najvazniji je razlog taj da 
unatoc razlicim produkeijskim modelima vrijednosti i motivaeija mogu biti 
neodvojivi jedno od drugog. Neprofitna kazalista, ukljucujuci eksperimentalnu 
scenu u New Yorku i drugim velikim gradovima, nisu uvijekjasno razlikovala 
izmedu onoga sto rade i razloga zbog kojih to rade te onoga sto rade 
komercijalna kazalista i razloga zbog kojih to rade. 

Osobe na celu institueija cesto grade svoju "obranu" neprofitnih 
umjetnosti na osnovama koje vise odmazu nego pomazu. Ili ukazuju na 
gospodarski napredak koji umjetnost moze donijeti rubnim podruejima (vidi 
Richard Florida), ili na broj komercijalnih hitova koji su krenuli iz njihovog 
kazalista, ili broj filmskih zvijezda koje su kod njih igrale (na skoroj svakoj web 
stranici nekog regionalnog kazalista). Prvi barem privilegiraju vezu izmedu 
kazalista i njegove neposredne zajednice. Drugi predlazu, barem djelomicno, 
percepciju regionalnih kazalista kao podredenih hranitelja nacionalnih (npr. 
New York ili Los Angeles) pozornica. 

Bilo bi lijepo zamisliti da neprofitna i komercijalna kazalista mogu 
pronaci koristi u tome da se odvoje jedna od drugih. Nezavisnost neprofitnih 
mogla bi ohrabriti kazalista da ponovno potaknu svoje specificne, lokalne, o 
trzistu neovisne misije. A komercijalni producenti bi mozda dosli do zakljucka 
da su bez potpora neprofitnog sektora prisiljeni ograniciti svoje prevelike 
proracune i poraditi na nekom racionalnijem modelu. Medutim, opci trendovi 
idu u drugom smjeru pri cemu komercijalno kazaliste sve vise ovisi o pomoci 


74 


Pregled brodvejske ekonomije 
i komercijalnog modela produkcije 

Annie Dorsen 


Frakcija #68/69 

Umjetnost i novae 


neprofitnog, dok neprofitno sve vise usvaja standarde i prakse komercijalnog 
kazalista. U najvecim neprofitnim kazalistima kao sto su Roundabout Theater, 
Lincoln Center, Manhattan Theater Club i The Public, komercijalna partnerstva 
imaju kljucnu ulogu u umjetnickim i poslovnim planovima. 

The Public Theater je nedavno najavio da ce predstava iz prosle sezone, 
mjuzikl o Imeldi Marcos, prijeci na komercijalni pristup unutar vlastite zgrade 
ili, drugim rijecima, komercijalni producenti i The Public postat ce partneri na 
profitnoj produkeiji u istoj zgradi koju The Public od grada iznajmljuje za dolar 
godisnje kako bi sluzila javnom dobru. Isto kazaliste je podiglo i cijenu karata 
za jedan drugi noviji mjuziklu na preko stotinu dolara po mjestu. Na pitanje o 
cijenama izvrsni direktor Patrick Willingham je za New York Times izjavio 
sljedece: 

"Iz perspektive brenda, nama je zaista vazno na svaki nacin, ukljucujuci i 
cijenu ulaznica, poslati poruku da smo javno kazaliste. Ali na kraju 
krajeva, svi smo se dobro osjecali zbog toga." 7 

Obratite paznju na ono sto nije rekao: uzimajuci u obzir da je to kazaliste 
oslobodeno placanja poreza kako bi ostvarilo svoju misiju sluzenja gradu New 
Yorku, vazno bi bilo da svi gradani New Yorka bez obzira na svoja primanja 
mogu uzivati u njegovom programu. Ali on visu cijenu ulaznica prepoznaje 
prvenstveno kao pitanje brendiranja i odnosa s javnoscu. 

No, ove velike institueije su samo najocitiji primjeri sve rasprostranje- 
nijeg fenomena u americkoj umjetnosti: bez sustava javnog financiranja koji 
moze znacajnije financirati djelovanje odredene institueije, da uopce ne 
spominjemo same projekte, nema nacina da se zastiti misija koja nije vodena 
iskljucivo trzistem. Neizbjezna je tendeneija prihvacanja bilo kakvog 
raspolozivog novea bez obzira na njegov izvor i oponasanje onih modela koji 
poslovne knjige naizgled mogu dovesti u red. Drugim rijecima, radi se o 
proklizavanju prema upravo onim oblicima bljestave zabave kojoj su ove 
javne institueije trebale biti protuteza. Naravno, ironijaje u tome sto je 
komercijalni sustav koji oponasaju sam po sebi nefunkcionalan i rijetko kad 
profitabilan. 


07 Vidi http://www.nytimes. 
com/20i4/o2Ai5/theater/it- 
may-be-a-nonprofit-theater- 
but-the-tickets-look-for-profit. 
html [pristupljeno 15. lipnja 
2014.]. 


An overview of Broadway economics 
and the commercial producing model 

Annie Dorsen 


Frakcija #68/69 

Art & Money 


75 


Alt overview 
of Broadway 
economies and 
the commercial 
producing model 

Annie Dorsen 


oi Joe's Pub is a nightclub within 
the Public Theater building, and 
presents a mix of music and 
performance, bands, vocalists, 
spoken-word, cabaret. Passing 
Strange was the first producing 
collaboration between the Pub 
and the theatre side. 


n the spring of 2004,1 began developing a music-theater 
performance with the rock band "The Negro Problem," made up of 
Heidi Rodewald and Mark Stewart, who goes by the name Stew. 
They were commissioned by the Public Theater in New York, and I 
was brought on to guide the writing process, and eventually to 
direct. We started in a basement studio tucked away in a corner of 
the Public's rambling downtown building and it seemed to me that 
the Public initially had no great hopes that the collaboration would 
lead to big stuff. I was a bit known in New York as a downtown director and 
Stew and Heidi had some hardcore fans. But the expectations were modest - 
along the lines of a cabaret-type piece for the Public's music bar, Joe's Pub. 1 

After our first residency and informal showing, the expectations grew, 
and we were put on a more aggressive development track. Over the next 


76 


An overview of Broadway economics 
and the commercial producing model 

Annie Dorsen 


Frakcija #68/69 

Art & Money 


four years, the music-theatre piece became a musical called Passing Strange, 
and eventually we moved from the basement to one of the theaters upstairs, 
and from there to a Broadway run. 

Our four-year trajectory, starting as we did with a small experimental 
project commissioned by a non-profit, gave an unusual view on the inner 
workings of the commercial theater and the interactions between the not- 
for-profit and commercial sectors. Stew and Heidi came from the rock club 
scene, and I from downtown theatre, and the three of us shared a near-total 
lack of ambition towards Broadway. I viewed my time in that world as a kind 
of anthropological inquiry. (Stew seems to have gotten into it, though; he's 
currently developing two new musicals with Broadway aspirations.) 

I am struck by how little I understood ahead of time about the concrete 
functioning of the commercial theater, despite the long shadow it casts over 
all New York theatre. But it's one of the strange things about that world - an 
air of mystery surrounds the financial arrangements. Maybe, as one might 
expect of any for-profit business, it's a question of the insiders protecting 
their trade secrets. Or maybe it's because of the complete dysfunction of the 
entire situation. I told one of the Passing Strange producers that I was writing 
this, and she was shocked that anyone would be interested in a financial 
model that so clearly doesn't work. ("But then again," she said, "they are 
Europeans!" - ha ha hum.) 

The reality is that Broadway shows almost never make profit, no one 
really believes that it's a good way to make art, and everybody pretty much 
wonders why the whole thing doesn't collapse under the weight of its 
bloated expenses and infrastructure. But as with a lot of tottering industries, 
institutional entrenchment and symbiotic side-businesses keep it going. 2 And 
among those whose taste and desires lead in that direction, no one can 
figure out a better way to do it. 

So here I offer an overview of Broadway economics and the commercial 
producing model, from one specific (and atypical) perspective. 


02 By "symbiotic side-businesses" I 
am thinking mostly of tourist- 
related industries. For the 2010- 
in season, tourists to New York 
who visited primarily to see a 
Broadway show spent nearly $6 
billion on ancillary services: 
transportation, hotels, 
restaurants, shopping. That 
figure doesn't include the 
spending on tickets themselves. 
See http://www. 
broadwayleague.com/index. 
php?url_identifier=broadway-s- 
economic-contribution-to-new- 
york-city [accessed 15 July 2014], 


* * * 

One of the first moves producers make when they decide to take on a new 
project is to set up the show itself as a limited liability company, a business 
structure that protects them from personal responsibility for any losses. Ours 
was called Passing Strange LLC. Then they go looking for investors. Passing 
Strange was a small musical, which translates into a budget of around $5-6 
million. A typical Broadway musical costs over no million to produce, and big 
blockbuster musicals might have budgets of 30, 50 or even, in the case of the 
recent Spider Man, 75 million. 

I should say that I think our budget was around five million. I don't know 
the precise number. Stew and Heidi, as the credited authors, might have been 
better informed. The actors and musicians had it much worse; they devoted 
the same four years to the project, and had even less of a clue about the 
major decisions being made, ones that affected their time and livelihoods, 
not to mention the future of a piece they helped build and cared about. 

But we'll use 5 million as our working assumption. That's the sum the 
producers had to raise to "capitalize" the show. That means all the money 
they would need, including contingency and a reserve, to mount the 
production and begin doing performances. It does not include weekly 
running costs, which I'll get to later on. The capitalization is raised from 


An overview of Broadway economics 
and the commercial producing model 

Annie Dorsen 


Frakcija #68/69 

Art & Money 


77 


03 The theater actually has nooo, 
but we closed off the balcony 
for our run. So our weekly max 
was based on selling out around 
800 or 850 seats. 


investors, who hope to get their money back, bit by bit, from the weekly 
profits of the show once it is up and running. Assuming there are any weekly 
profits. (More on that later, too.) As in any business, the amount paid back 
every week depends on the number of shares purchased, and large 
shareholders get additional benefits, both formal and informal, like 
participation in production meetings, and first-name friendships with the 
artists. 

Out of the initial capitalization, producers pay for the rental of rehearsal 
space, the physical production (materials and - unionized - labor), marketing 
and publicity ahead of the premiere, fees to performers, authors, director and 
designers. The creative team, everyone but performers, also receives an 
advance on royalties. As should be obvious from the budget numbers I 
mentioned, the costs add up insanely. Complex agreements with theater 
owners and labor unions drive the prices. One of the most often cited 
examples is the cost of loading and installing the physical production into the 
theatre - which, according to negotiated agreements, requires workers from 
at least three different unions, each with minimum number of workers and 
hours worked. Loading into a Broadway theatre can cost anywhere from 
$200,000 to over $i million. 

If the first important number is the total capitalization, the next two 
correspond to weekly costs and income. The amount of money it takes to run 
a show for one week is called "the nut." That figure includes rental of the 
theatre building, salaries for the house staff and ticket service, actor and 
musician fees and author royalty payments, repairs and maintenance of the 
set and lighting, technician fees, weekly marketing budget, insurance, and on 
and on. Everything down to the toilet paper in the bathrooms and the plastic 
cups at the bar. Our nut was somewhere in the vicinity of $285,000. The next 
number is the maximum possible weekly income from ticket sales - if every 
seat at every performance were sold at full price. Our theatre was small by 
Broadway standards, maybe 850 seats 3 , and the maximum weekly was 
around $750,000. Any money made over the nut is profit, and a profitable 
week means higher royalty payments to artists and higher repayments to 
investors. It should be clear that the key to a profitable show is keeping 
weekly running costs low - and since many costs are fixed by the unions 
representing actors, musicians and stagehands, or by Broadway theater 
owners' associations and other interested parties, the few areas that are 
flexible matter a lot. 

The royalty pool is the only bit of financial innovation I could discern in 
the entire set-up. I have been warned against trying to explain it, but it's 
essentially a system whereby the producers sort of put their thumb on the 
scale, so that investors start getting paid back earlier and faster. At one time, 
artists received a strict percentage-based royalty on the gross weekly 
receipts. That large payout often made the difference between a show having 
some profit to pay back to investors or not. That is, the royalties paid out to 
artists ate the weekly profits, and turned a profitable week into an 
unprofitable one. In a royalty pool, however, artists, producers and investors 
divvy up percentages of profits, not grosses. Artists make less upfront, and 
investors take a bigger share until the capitalization has been paid off. If that 
happy day ever arrives, artist royalties rise dramatically. 

The brand-name, blockbuster type musicals make clear how difficult it 
is for these things to ever make any money. Spider Man, capitalized at 75 
million, was grossing roughly a million dollars a week for the last three years, 
but was never going to recoup its investment and start making profit 


An overview of Broadway economics 
and the commercial producing model 

Annie Dorsen 


Frakcija #68/69 

Art & Money 


78 


because its weekly running costs were higher than that. (In a sad ending to 
what a friend of mine called a "festival of incompetence and schadenfreude," 
Spider Man closed in January, having lost nearly its entire capitalization.) 4 
Another show, a heavy-metal satire called Rock of Ages, has been running 
with a profit for 4 years and isn't close to returning its initial investment. Our 
show closed after 6 months, 8 shows a week. We never had a profitable week, 
and we didn't come within twenty miles of anyone getting their investment 
back. 

It might seem foolish for producers to keep a showing running for 
months while losing money. But there is a logic. Unprofitable shows with 
great word of mouth can grow. Winning lots of awards, especially Tony 
Awards, especially Best New Musical, can turn things around. Passing Strange 
got great reviews, had good word of mouth, and 7 Tony nominations. If it had 
won more of them, instead of just one, who knows, perhaps it would still be 
running. 5 

Overall, only something like 15 or 20 percent of Broadway shows recoup. 
In some years, no shows do. There are some ways that projects can still make 
money even after closing on Broadway. There may be regional or 
international tours, or sales of scripts and CDs, or licensing to amateur 
productions. But by and large, the success of those will depend on the 
success of the Broadway run - a financial failure on Broadway is unlikely to 
be a financial success on the road. 

You might ask why people would make such an investment when it's so 
often a losing proposition. You might even say that investing in a Broadway 
show is one of the more moronic things a person can do with her money. But 
people do it nonetheless. There is always a long list of shows that have raised 
their capitalization, and wait only for a Broadway theater to become 
available (usually by the closing of another failed show) to start their run. 

And countless workshops and seminars advise would-be producers on the ins 
and outs of the business. Perhaps losing money on Broadway is merely a 
culturally prestigious way to get a tax write-off. For others, maybe it's a pure 
and simple gamble, like a high-stakes poker game with spreadsheets and 
opening night parties. 

In one sense, Broadway theater is just as much subsidized as the 
American non-profit sector. The non-profits are subsidized by corporations, 
foundations and private donors in exchange for image scrubbing and tax 
breaks. Broadway is subsidized by investors who give money knowing they 
have little chance of getting it back. Most of the investors I met had some 
relationship to the theatre or film world. The pot-smoking multi-millionaire 
hedge fund manager who also produces films. The former actress who 
married well. That sort of thing. As far as I could tell, they seemed to take 
their losses in stride, and they obviously enjoyed being part of the project, 
drinking with the musicians, going to the award shows in black tie, and so on. 

Furthermore, it's an absolute myth, by the way, that commercial 
producers and investors don't care about art. The bottom-line types with 
dollar signs in their eyes might exist, but I never met them. Everyone I met 
had enthusiasm for the art. They may have had an uncritical - what they 
might call "pragmatic" - view of the show as a product, but they weren't 
cynics. They worried about the tension between commercial and critical 
success, and watched the show every night from the back, and were thrilled 
like kids when the audience clapped. 

But there's another way in which the commercial theater is subsidized 
- that is, it's directly subsidized by the non-profit theaters themselves. 


04 A recent article on Spider Man's 
closing, and future plans: http:// 
www.nytimes.c0m/2013/n/20/ 
theater/spider-man-investors- 
shaken-by-projected-6o- 
million-loss.html?_r=o 
[accessed 15 July 2014], 

05 At the risk of burying the lede, I 
should also point out that the 
audience for Broadway is 
overwhelmingly white, 
suburban, and middle-class. This 
is obviously another reason why 
Passing Strange, an 
unconventional piece about an 
alienated black artist, had a hard 
time selling tickets. 


An overview of Broadway economics 
and the commercial producing model 

Annie Dorsen 


Frakcija #68/69 

Art & Money 


79 


06 For more on tax exemption in 
US arts organizations: http:// 
www.irs.gov/pub/irs-soi/ 
tehistory.pdf [accessed 15 July 
2014]. 


In the US, not-for-profit arts organizations get a tax exemption under a 
code developed in the early 20 th century, and refined to more or less its 
current form in 1954. We have never had a proper public arts subsidy system. 
Our national funding organization, the NEA, was established in 1965 with an 
operating budget of under S3 million. (For 2013, the budget is $138 million - 
nationally, for all art forms.) The explicit intention was to use the money not 
to fund art, but to legitimate and lend prestige to arts organizations so that 
they might more easily find private donors, who are in turn encouraged to 
donate by tax deductions. 

These innovations coincided with a movement to set up so-called "first 
class" theaters - and symphonies, museums and ballet companies - in every 
major city. Many of these theaters started as repertory houses, and many 
were founded by big-name directors. They are independent houses, each 
with its own history, but they all more or less share a mission to bring 
"quality" and "culture" - work that couldn't be supported by the market - to 
cities other than New York. They are granted tax exempt status under the 
same part of the tax code that covers churches and charities - institutions 
that work in the public interest and can't support themselves through market 
means. 

Starting in earnest in the 1980s (there are a few examples of these kinds 
of deals earlier), Broadway began using not-for-profit regional theaters to 
offset the costs of mounting new productions. The costs on Broadway, 
especially labor costs, are massively higher than at a non-profit. In an 
arrangement called "enhancing," commercial producers seed money into 
non-profit productions, with the understanding that they are grooming the 
project for a Broadway run. If the show does transfer, the original non-profit 
producing theater gets a percentage of profits. So the Broadway producer 
gets a cheap, non-unionized place to build and develop the piece, and the 
non-profit gets extra cash to produce it and a potential larger payoff down 
the line. These days almost all commercial projects begin at non-profits. (The 
distortion of the mission of these theaters and the rationale for their tax 
status is another question.) 6 

It's mostly a good deal for the non-profits as well. As government 
grants cover so little of a theater's operating expenses, most theater staffs 
spend an extraordinary amount of time fundraising, seeking money from 
wealthy local residents, corporations and foundations. The influx of cash that 
a commercial producer can provide does a lot to balance yearly budgets. 

But Passing Strange was not funded by investors through an 
enhancement arrangement, but rather by two established non-profit 
theaters. The co-producers, the Public in New York and the Berkeley 
Repertory Theater in California, arranged residencies for us at other non¬ 
profit institutions like Sundance Theater Lab and Stanford University Live 
Arts. By the time we opened at the Public in fall 2007, we had done perhaps 
three or four residencies or writing retreats a year for three years. Most 
projects don't receive quite that level of developmental support. We did, 
because from early in our process the director of the Public hoped we might 
be Broadway-bound. The investment his theater made in us was both for the 
short-term benefit of his own season and, longer-term, for a possible 
commercial run. 

In other words, as with most supposedly free market businesses, there 
are layers of public support behind the scenes, holding up the whole 
structure. 


80 


An overview of Broadway economics 
and the commercial producing model 

Annie Dorsen 


Frakcija #68/69 

Art & Money 


A Broadway transfer doesn't merely benefit the non-profit theater with 
money. In fact, given how unlikely it is for Broadway shows to make a profit, 
once a show does transfer to a commercial production, it can be a financial 
wash for the non-profit as well. The only sure payoff is rather in terms of 
prestige and profile. I sometimes had the impression the non-profit 
institutional leaders were both more enthusiastic and more stressed about 
the Broadway run than Stew or I were. 

In the US, the various strands of theater are usually, perhaps 
unconsciously, considered hierarchically - there is an implicit expectation 
that one "moves up" from small experimental to large mainstream, from 
regional to New York, from non-profit to commercial. That is, they are 
primarily distinguishable by their scale and significance - and only 
secondarily by their aesthetics, ethics, or intentions. 

Partly this is due to the complex relationships between the non-profits 
and the commercial theaters, how tightly the two spheres are entwined. And 
partly it is because of how difficult it is for artists to make a living in the non¬ 
profit sector -even prestigious theaters often pay almost nothing - so for 
many there's a sense of urgency about working towards a big payday 7 . But 
mostly I think it's because, despite the different production models, the 
values and motivations can be pretty indistinguishable. The non-profits, 
including the experimental side in New York and other major cities, haven't 
always made a clear distinction between what they do and why, and what 
the commercial theater does and why. 

Institutional leaders often mount their "defense" of the not-for-profit 
arts on unhelpful grounds. Either pointing to the economic boost that the 
arts can bring to marginal neighborhoods (see Richard Florida), or to the 
number of commercial hits that originated at their theatre or the number of 
movie stars who have played there (see almost any regional theater website). 
The first of these at least privileges the relationship between the theater and 
its immediate community. The second suggests that theaters view 
themselves, at least partly, as subservient feeders for the national (i.e. New 
York or Los Angeles) stages. 

It would be nice to think that the non-profits and commercial theaters 
could each find a benefit in disentangling themselves. The independence of 
non-profits could encourage theaters to re-invigorate their specific, local, 
non-market driven missions. And commercial producers might find that 
without the subsidy of the non-profit sector, they would be forced to rein in 
their outsized budgets and develop a more rational model. The general 
trends move in the other direction, however, with the commercial theater 
increasingly being propped up by the non-profits, and the non-profits 
increasingly aping the standards and practices of the commercial theaters. At 
the biggest non-profits, the Roundabout Theater, Lincoln Center, Manhattan 
Theater Club, and The Public, commercial partnerships are a central 
component of their artistic and business plans. 

The Public Theater recently announced that a show from last season, a 
musical about Imelda Marcos, will transfer commercial within its own building 
- that is, commercial producers and the Public will partner on a for-profit 
production in the very building which it rents from the city for $i a year in 
order to serve the public good. That theater also raised tickets prices on 
another recent musical hit to over $ioo a seat. Asked about the prices, the 
executive director Patrick Willingham told the New York Times, 


07 By the way, the "big payday" is 
often not so big, at least for 
actors. I believe the Broadway 
minimum for an actor is $1,600 
a week (around €1.100). It’s 
certainly not nothing, and is 
easily 3 times what a non-profit 
might normally pay an actor. 
But it’s not exactly riches 
beyond compare. Big name 
stars, of course, can negotiate 
much higher salaries. 


An overview of Broadway economics 
and the commercial producing model 

Annie Dorsen 


Frakcija #68/69 

Art & Money 


81 


08 See http://www.nytimes. 
com/20i4/o2/i5/theater/it- 
may-be-a-nonprofit-theater- 
but-the-tickets-look-for-profit. 
html [accessed 15 July 2014], 


From a brand perspective, it's really important for us to be 
communicating in all ways - including ticket prices - that we're the 
public theater. But at the end of the day, we all felt good about it. 8 

Notice what he didn't say: considering the theater is granted tax-free status 
to fulfill its mission to serve the city of New York, it's important that New 
Yorkers of all incomes are able to benefit from its programming. No, he 
recognizes the high ticket price as primarily a branding and PR issue. 

But these big institutions are only the most visible examples of an 
endemic issue in American arts: without a public funding system that can 
substantively fund an institution's operations, not to mention the projects 
themselves - there is no way to protect a non-market driven mission. There 
is an inevitable slide towards towards accepting whatever cash is available 
from whatever source, and towards mimicry of forms that seem able to 
balance their books. In other words a slide towards the very kinds of splashy 
entertainment these public institutions were created to counter. The irony, of 
course, is that the commercial system they imitate is itself dysfunctional, and 
rarely profitable. 













1 /ISIOA/ \ 









84 


Od intervencije do infrastrukture 

ArtLeaks (Corina Apostol & Dmitry Vilensky (Chto Delat?)) 


Frakcija #68/69 

Umjetnost i novae 


Od intervencije do 
infrastrukture 

ArtLeaks (Corina Apostol & Dmitry Vilensky (Chto Delat?)) 

S engleskog preveo Coran Vucenovic i urednice 



rtLeaks 1 se pojavio 2011 
kao grassroot 
platforma koju je 
zajednickim snagama 
pokrenula nekolicina 
medunarodnih 
umjetnika, kuratora, 
aktivista i povjesnicara 
umjetnosti kao odgovor na pojacanu 
zlouporabu profesionalnog integriteta i krsenje 
prava kulturnih radnika. Smatrali smo da je 
politicki odgovorno ne dopustiti takve 
zlouporabe, vec ih uciniti dostupnima javnosti 
objavljivanjem na Internetu. Posebno nas 
zabrinjava suzbijanje rasprave o nacinima 
izrabljivanja u umjetnickoj produkeiji te 
problem drzavnog i privatnog pokroviteljstva. 
Iskustvom stecenim u godini nakon osnutka 
platforme sve smo jasnije ukazivali na to da se 
ovdje ne radi o pojedinacnim zlouporabama, 
vec o opcem stanju nejednakosti, nesigurnosti i 
represije koje je doista globalizirano. 

Nose djelovanje u ArtLeaks-u 
prvenstveno je usmjereno na objavljivanje 
"dostupnih informaeija" (leaks) o slucajevima 
so svih strana svijeta , koje iznosimo radi javne 
debate i analize losih praksi. Nas cilj je 
razotkrivanje takvih slucajeva u sirem 
drustveno-politickom i ekonomskom kontekstu 
koji svijet umjetnosti ne iskljucuje iz globalne 
slike svijeta. 

U srpnju 20n. poceli smo organizirati 
javne tribine na regionalnoj razini na kojima 
smo se bavili i globalnim problemima. 2 Mjesto 
odrzavanja ovisilo je o vezi pojedinih osnivaca 
platforme s lokalnom scenom, npr. neki od nas 
trenutno zive i rade u Londonu, Moskvi, New 
Yorku i Beogradu, kao i pozivima da 


sudjelujemo u nekim lokalnim umjetnicko- 
aktivistickim inieijativama. Nose skupstine i 
radionice djeluju kao svojevrsna mjesta 
osvjestavanja gdje se pokusavamo povezati s 
lokalnim akterima koji se bore za slicne ciljeve, 
i kulturnim radnicima s negativnim iskustvima 
koji su voljni pridruziti nam se u razradi 
strategija koje bi trebale rezultirati znacajnim 
promjenama. 

Onda smo u svibnju 2013. suosnivaci 
Corina L. Apostol, Vladan Jeremic, David Riffi 
Dmitry Vilensky objavili sluzbeni list 
ArtLeaksa, 3 u kojem smo se nastojali kriticki 
osvrnuti na oblike prekarnog rada, represije i 
izrabljivanja u umjetnickom i kulturnom 
sektoru diljem svijeta te izloziti historijske 
primjere alternative, kako su se formulirale te 
kako se razvijaju danas. 

Do sada nas nije financirala ni podrzala 
nijedna vanjska institueija Hi fondaeija. Odlucili 
smo nas projekt odrzati sto je moguce 
otvorenijim svim zainteresiranima, ali uz uvjet 
da ne rade za privatne ili drzavne interese - 
slijedeci model grassroot inieijative. lako 
ovakva odluka cini platformu ranjivijom, manje 
predvidivom i doista "neizvjesnom", vjerujemo 
da je ona odraz snage i pouzdanja u bolji svijet 
(umjetnosti). 

Kad smo pozvani na sudjelovanje u ovom 
izdanju Frakcije radnog, odlucili smo ova 
pitanja razraditi dalje u smjeru modela novih 
institueija i nacina kolektivizacije umjetnickog 
rada. lako nemamo savrsena rjesenja s 
obzirom na raznolike zakonske okvire i prakse 
koje reguliraju protok resursa i prilika, ipak 
bismo zeljeli odgovoriti na pitanja poput: sto 
se dogada kada netko nije u moguenosti platiti 
ili mu se ne placa? Ili, kako se organizirati s onu 


Od intervencije do infrastrukture 

ArtLeaks (Corina Apostol & Dmitry Vilensky (Chto Delat?)) 


Frakcija #68/69 

Umjetnost i novae 


85 


stranu kategorija kao sto su "umjetnik", 
"kurator", "kritlcar" pa sve do manje vidljivih 
radnika u umjetnlckom sistemu? Kako pronaci 
jezik kojim bismo govorili o svakodnevnim 
problemima i kako artikulirati zajednicke 
zahtjeve? Nasa skromna inieijativa, kao ono 
najvaznije, istice cinjenicu da je stanje stvari 
doista lose i da se nesto moze napraviti samo 
zajednickim naporima. imajuci ovo na umu, 
odlucili smo navedenim pitanjima pristuplti u 
formi dijaloga, oslanjajuci se na iskustva s 
Artleaksom proteklih nekoliko godina te nasa 
iskustva u polju suvremene umjetnosti. 


01 Vise o ArtLeaksu: http://art- 
leaks.org/about/ [pristupljeno 7. 
rujna 2014.]. 

02 Vise o dokumentima s ArtLeaks 
zborova: http://art-leaks.org/ 
public-actions/ [pristupljeno 7. 
rujna 2014.]. 

03 The ArtLeaks Gazette je 

dostupan na: http://art-leaks. 
org/artleaks-gazette/ 
[pristupljeno 7. rujna 2014.]. 

04 Vise o Chto Delat?: http://www. 
chtodelat.org [pristupljeno 7. 
rujna 2014.]. 


CA: Htjela bi zapoceti s tvojim radom u Chto Delat?, 4 kojega si suosnovao 
2003. u Sankt Peterburgu u Rusiji. Zadnjih desetak godina djelovao si 
kao clan ovog kolektiva umjetnika, aktivista i edukatora u Rusiji i 
posvetio puno vremena i resursa izgradnji kritickog okruzenja. lako ga 
najvjerojatnije niste uspjeli institucionalizirati u vlastitom kontekstu, 
uspjeli ste u plasiranju ideja, diskusija, projekeija i publikaeija. Ustrajali 
ste i unatoc nestasici sredstava, uspjeli ostati nezavisni i izvan 
institucionalnih okvira i logike profita. Kako se strateski pozicionirate u 
tom kontekstu - ziveci u autoritarnom drustvu, a ne postajuci cinikom? 

DV: Da, istinaje da smo mi u Rusiji jos uvijek izvan gotovo svakog 
institucionalnog okvira. Zato se putanja naseg lokalnog razvoja 
usmjerila stvaranju neke vrste protu-institueije. I nadam se da smo 
zaista i uspjeli stvoriti prostor, mozemo ga nazvati prostorom 
"angazirane autonomije", koji ima dosta elemenata klasicne institueije. 
Procesom duge i intenzivne suradnje s razlicitim ljudima stvorili smo 
jaku i relativno veliku mrezu proizvodnje i distribueije vlastitog rada, 
razvili vlastitu ekonomiju u cijem je centru Chto Delat? fond koji 
preraspodjelom sredstava omogucava projekte koji nisu poduprti od 
strane institueija i koji potpomaze siroki raspon djelatnosti nasih 
lokalnih umjetnicko-aktivistickih zajednica. Fond se financira noveem iz 
nasih stalnih umjetnickih aktivnosti (naknade od prikazivanja, 
produkeijskih donaeija itd). Vecina nasih suradnika iz Rusije djeluje izvan 
svijeta umjetnosti, a zapravo oduvijek smo i igrali na inteligenciju kao 
nasu ciljanu publiku (ili ljude s bazicnom gradanskom svijescu). Nikad se 
nismo bojali ostati izvan vrlo cinicnog i bezosjecajnog dijela umjetnickog 
svijeta, vec smo s vremenom, u skladu s jacanjem nase internacionalne 
pozieije, pojacavali pritisak na njega. Ta nam je strategija pomogla u 
djelovanju zadnjih desetak godina te nam donijela i vecu vidljivost i 
publiku. 

CA: Vas rad je snazna kritika neoliberalnog svijeta, sa svim njegovim laznim 
snovima i obecanjima te njegovom promoeijom u umjetnosti i kulturi 
kao neceg dobrog. Kljucno pitanje s kojim su se umjetnici danas prisiljeni 
suociti jest spoznaja da se umjetnost normalizirala kao roba. Suvremene 
okolnosti doista se jako razlikuju od tvojih umjetnickih pocetaka u 
Sovjetskom Savezu ig8o-ih kad je u disidentskoj i nekonformistickoj 
umjetnosti posrijedi bila ideoloska borba i autonomija od drzave. Kako 
danas vidis ovu vezu izmedu umjetnosti i trzista? Kako se to odrazilo na 
tvoj rad proteklih desetak godina? Takoder, kao netko tko kritizira 
probleme zajednicke Europi i Zapadu, a nije usmjeren samo na 
dogadanja u Rusiji? 

DV: Mislim da smo u zadnjih deset godina naucili da ideoloske borbe postaju 
sve slozenije i nijansiranije, ali i sve brutalnije. Slozenije u smislu da se 
odvijaju izvan svakog politickog realiteta i da su kulturalizirane vise 
nego ikad. Brutalne pak u smislu koristenja bilo kakve moguenosti za 
stvarnu politicku promjenu. Sva se ta slozenost vec nazire u 
postavljenom pitanju o "normalizaeiji robe" - da, istinaje da se svako 
umjetnicko djelo moze kupiti i prodati, pa i ona posve dematerijalizirana, 
ali paradoks je u tome sto 99% umjetnicke produkeije nikad nece 
pronaci svoje trziste. Ta enormna produkeija stalno gomila otpad i visak 
i zato je toliko uzbudljiva. Isto tako, ne vjerujem da je u umjetnosti 
nekad bilo vise politike i ideologije nego sto je danas. Prema mom 
misljenju, vecina umjetnicke produkeije nakomg6o-ih nije bila (i jos 
uvijek nije) implicitno politicka. Cak ni intelektualno nije mogla zahvatiti 


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05 Vise o povijesti Art Workers' 
Coalition: http://www. 
primaryinformation.org/index. 
php?/projects/art-workers- 
coalition/ [pristupljeno 7. rujna 
2014.]. 

06 Vise o W.A.C.E.: http://www. 
wageforwork.com [pristupljeno 
7. rujna 2014.]. 

07 Vise o uvjetima rada umjetnickih 
djelatnika u Moskvi: http://art- 
leaks.org/2013/05/25/evegenia- 
abramova-on-art-workers- 
labor-conditions-moscow/ 
[pristupljeno 7. rujna 2014.]. 

08 Fokus Crupa, Artists' Contracts 
and Artists' Rights, ArtLeaks 
Gazette, svibanj 2013, st. 63-73, 
dostupno online: https:// 
ia801702.us.archive.0rg/20/ 
items/ArtLeaksGazette/AL- 
Gazette-Fokus-Grupa.pdf 
[pristupljeno 7. rujna 2014.]. 

09 Vise o projektu: http://www. 
chtodelat.org/?option=com_co 
ntent&view=article&id=i045&lt 
emid=493&lang=en 
[pristupljeno 7. rujna 2014.]. 


svoj politicki poteneijal, a opet je bila instrumentalizirana tijekom 
Hladnog rata, ali to je druga prica koja nema direktne veze sa 
suvremenom politikom umjetnosti. 

Na primjer, pitanje rada u umjetnostima nije ozbiljno razmatrano sve 
do prije desetak godina (svi se pozivamo na Art Workers' Coalition). 5 
Covoriti tada o radu i umjetnosti bilo je vrlo cudno, i tek je sad u 
vremenu proliferaeije kreativnih industrija i ekonomije to postala vruca 
tema. Sto mislis, koliko je ta tema politicki uvjetovana i nije li ona vise- 
manje uobicajena borba za ekonomska prava koja ocigledno ima svoja 
ogranicenja? 

CA: Danas postoje inieijative kao sto je W.A.C.E. (Working Artists and the 
Greater Economy), 6 projekt aktivista u Sjedinjenim Drzavama koji nastoji 
regulirati placanje umjetnickih honorara od strane neprofitnih 
organizaeija i uspostaviti model najbolje prakse za kulturne proizvodace 
i institueije. Mogao bih spomenuti platformu koju energicno vodi 
Evgenia Abramova u Moskvi, 7 a koja se bavi zakonskim pravima 
kulturnih radnika u suvremenim umjetnickim institueijama. Isto tako 
nedavno smo izdali studiju Fokus Grupe "Artists' Contracts and Artists' 
Rights" 8 u sluzbenom glasilu ArtLeaks-a, koja historizira napore 
kulturnih radnika da kontroliraju i definiraju uvjete vlastitog rada i 
instrumentalizaeiju svoje umjetnosti, od Gustava Corbeta do Kazimira 
Malevicha, Adriana Pipera i Setha Siegelauba. 

Dok su ovo, naravno, vrlo vrijedne inieijative s kojima ce ArtLeaks 
nastaviti suradnju, nase su aktivnosti, po mom misljenju, upucene i na 
otkrivanje i, nadajmo se, pruzanje otpora otrovnim simptomima 
neoliberalizma u umjetnosti i kulturnom sektoru (kao sto su 
instrumentalizaeija kulture iskljucivo u komercijalne svrhe, vjecno 
volontiranje ili neplaceno staziranje, samoprekarizaeija, (auto)cenzura i 
dijeljenje kulture od politike) koje su sastavni dio tzv. "totaliteta 
kapitalizma". Prava i pravedno placanje samo su dio ove vece ejeline. 

Nije dovoljno zahtijevati ugovore koji su pravedni u etickom i 
ekonomskom smislu, vec je potrebno ukazati na nasilje sustava u ejelini. 
Vjerujem da ArtLeaks pruza priliku da se preuzme rizik, odbaci lazna 
politicka pristojnost i da se otvoreno progovori o korijenima ovih 
problema. Isto tako zelim naglasiti da je borba protiv autocenzure u 
suvremenoj umjetnosti neprestana borba jer je autocenzura 
ukorijenjena u nasem razmisljanju, u institueijama u kojima radimo i u 
drustvenim odnosima. Po meni, postaloje nuzno istrazivati prakse 
umjetnickog aktivizma, intervencionizma, institucionalne kritike kako bi 
se razvile kriticke umjetnicke prakse koje reagiraju/djeluju u 
problematicnim prostorima naseg radnog okruzenja; od muzeja do 
umjetnickih kuca, galerija, festivala, a kojima dolazimo po publike. 

Sto se tice institueija, zelim iznijeti konkretan primjer, naime jedan od 
vasih zadnjih projekata izvedenih u Sankt Peterburgu sa sa Chto Delat?: 
"You Don't Have to be Leftist to Think Like That - An Exhibition as a 
School" (2012). 9 Kao sto si rekao, projekt je zamisljen kao radionica, 
predavanje, okrugli stol i izlozba, s namjerom da se stvori situaeija i 
prostor u kojem se kulturni radnici mogu ukljuciti u emancipatorsku 
politiku i oduprijeti se komereijalizaeiji kulture. Projekt je nastao kao 
kritika pojma institucionalizacije i bio je usmjeren lokalnoj publici kao 
oblik osvjestavanja i, sugerirala bih, kao model koristenja 
konvencionalne izlozbe i diskusijskog formata kao strukture za politicku 
subjektivizaeiju koja nas izaziva da razmislimo sto je umjetnicko djelo i 


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87 


sto je izlozba. Vjerujem da je u Rusiji vazno sto ranije krenuti s takvim 
projektima, sto doista nije jednostavno, jer nije razvijeno civilno drustvo, 
a vlasti sustavno ohrabruju reakeionarne snage i njihovo nasilje. U isto 
vrijeme mislim da su takvi projekti vazni za sredine u kojima nestaju 
javna mjesta i u kojima cak ni umjetnicke skole ne mogu pruziti zaklon 
od komereijalizaeije ili korporativnih interesa. Kako odrzati odredenu 
slobodu u misljenju i stvaranju ideja? 

DV: Ne koristim cesto tu rijec "sloboda" jer imam problema s tim kako se taj 
pojam (zlo)upotrebljava. U umjetnosti se ne radi o slobodi - tu je rijec o 
neodgodivosti i neizbjeznosti oslobodilackog rada i borbe. Mislim da se 
borba za oslobadanje ljudi danas mora voditi i u komercijalnim i 
korporativnim sektorima iz jednostavnog razloga sto drugdje nema 
zbiljske moguenosti promjene. Realno, trenutno smo ograniceni na 
nesto sto nazivamo "podizanje razine svijesti" - ali taj je termin 
preapstraktan - uvijek trebamo obrazlagati: kakvu to svijest zelimo 
promovirati? 

Mislimo na singularnosti koje bi svijet mogle ocarati novim 
znacenjima, koje bi mogle voditi racuna o zajednickim dobrima, biti 
sposobne za kolektivno djelovanje, ili se brinuti o Drugom i boriti se 
protiv svih oblika ugnjetavanja. Moramo prekinuti ovisnost ljudi o 
ekonomskim pritiscima golog zivota i prezivljavanja. 

CA: Slazem se s tobom da se u umjetnosti ne radi samo o slobodi, ali ja 
takoder zasnivam svoj stav na dramaticnom iskustvu drustveno- 
politickih transformaeija u Rumunjskoj koje su pocele 1989.: revolueija, 
demokraeija, prijelaz s tzv. "komunizma" na kapitalizam. Mojoj je to 
generaeiji donijelo duboko politicko osvjestavanje koje je Dan Perjovschi 
britko izrazio: "Prije devedesetih govorili smo o slobodi, a sada govorimo 
o novcu". Stoga za mene pojam "slobode" jos uvijek nosi tu radikalnu 
konotaeiju. 

lako sam studirala i radila u Sjedinjenim Drzavama vise od osam 
godina, jos uvijek osjecam pritisak da se vratim kuci i prihvatim izazov 
rumunjskog okruzenja, gdje je neoliberalizam u punom evatu, 
inteligencija je gotovo posve desnicarska, a galerije i trziste polazu 
pravo na dominaeiju. Mislim da nije slucajno sto znacajan dio ArtLeaks- 
ovih suradnika dolazi iz tog okruzja: The Bureau of Melodramatic 
Research 10 , PostSpectacle 11 , Paradis Garaj 12 , Raluca Voinea 13 , umjetnici i 
kriticari, redom nasi suosnivaci s tzv. neovisne scene u Bukurestu (oni ne 
rade za drzavne institueije, vec razvijaju alternativne nacine rada na 
kritickim projektima uz potporu izvana) kojimaje dosta pohlepe, 
gluposti, poslusnosti i nedostatka kritickog diskursa u vlastitom 
okruzenju i koji zele mijenjati stvari u kulturi. 

DV: Vratimo se ArtLeaks-u. Sto ti se cini, koliko ce daleko odmaknuti u 
institucionalizaciji, kako bi trebao djelovati i kakve ustroje kreirati u 
buduenosti? 

CA: Kad smo pokrenuli ArtLeaks bilo je vazno preuzeti odgovornost koristeci 
se vlastitim imenima te postaviti konkretne zahtjeve, a ne stvarati 
projekte bez vodstva kao sto smo vidjeli u slucaju Anonymousa i 
pokreta Occupy. Naglasavali smo i internacionalno podrueje djelovanja 
platforme s ciljem ujedinjavanja ne samo umjetnika vec i kuratora, 
kriticara, filozofa i aktivista, svih onih koje smo prepoznali kao kulturne 
radnike ili proizvodace. 

U isto vrijeme, ohrabrivali smo sve one koji su bili spremi podijeliti s 
nama svoje slucajeve i anonimno, ako je bilo potrebno, jer nitko ne bi 


10 Vise o Bureau of Melodramatic 
Research: http://thebureau 
ofmelodramatic research. 
blogspot.ro [pristupljeno 7. rujna 
2014.]. 

n Vise o Postspectacle: http:// 
postspectacle.blogspot.ro 
[pristupljeno 7. rujna 2014.]. 

12 Intervju Olge Stefan s Paradis 
Carajanom u Art Margins, 
srpanj20i2, dostupno online: 
http://artmargins.com/index. 
php/5-interviews/672- 
interview-with-paradis-garaj- 
bucharest [pristupljeno 7. rujna 
2014.]. 

13 Raluca Voinea je kuratorica i 
umjetnicka kriticarka, jedna od 
urednica IDEA Arts + Society, 

The Long April, Texte despre arta 
i direktorica programa tranzit.ro 
u Bukurestu. 


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14 Vise o ovoj inieijativi: http:// 
vyzvaprotinulovemzde.blogspot. 
ro/p/call-against-zero-wage. 
html [pristupljeno 7. rujna 2014.]. 

15 Vise o ovoj platformi: http:// 
ragpickers.tumblr.com 
[pristupljeno 7. rujna 2014.]. 


smio izgubiti posao i naci se na ernoj listi samo zato jerje pristupio 
projektu, iako bi se i to moglo dogoditi. Na primjer, sjecam se kada smo 
krenuli s ArtLeaks-om, nekima od nas koji su pisali o vlastitim iskustvima 
kao umjetnika, pripravnika i kuratora, prijetilaje uprava Paviljona 
Unicredit Bucharest zbog nanosenja stete njihovom ugledu i 
ugrozavanja odnosa s njihovim glavnim sponzorom. To se dogodilo bez 
obzira sto smo revno objavili i njihovu verziju dogadaja zajedno s nasim 
svjedocanstvima, dakle nikad niste sigurni kako ce agresivni ljudi 
reagirati na "curenje". 

Slicno nasem arhivu "slucajeva koji su iscurili" koji se uvijek moze 
pogledati na internetu, Bojana Piskur, kustosica ljubljanske Moderne 
Calerije i clanica Radical Education Collective-a, zajedno s Dordom 
Balmazovicem, clanom Skart kolektiva iz Beograda, 2012. je provela 
istrazivanje pod nazivom "Radnicka anketa", koje se bazira na Marxovoj 
radnickoj anketi, o polozaju kulturnih djelatnika u Srbiji. Rezultati 
istrazivanja mogu se skinuti s nase web stranice, gdje mozete procitati 
mnoga iskrena svjedocanstva o stavljanju na ernu listu i korupeiji. 

lakoje svijet umjetnosti, kao sto si jednom prilikom primijetio, 

"poput jedne velike obitelji" gdje svatko, manje-vise, poznaje svakoga, u 
nekim nasim slucajevima kulturni radnici koriste kolektivni, anonimni 
identitet za "zvizdanje" - na primjer, u slucaju "Unknown Artist" 
umjetnici su protestirali protiv eksploatatorskog galerijskog sistema u 
Los Angelesu, a nasu web stranicu koristili kako bi objavili svoje price 
anonimno, pod kolektivnim imenom. 

Za nas je bilo jednako vazno da projekt drzimo otvorenima za sve 
one koji se zele solidarizirati s nasim djelovanjem i koji osjecaju 
ozbiljnost i neodgodivost situaeije. Iako smo dobili mnoge izraze 
podrske, moram priznati da se broj nasih clanova u zadnje dvije godine 
nije promijenio. Isto tako, primijetila sam da su nakon nasih skupstina 
neki lokalni aktivisti pokrenuli vlastite platforme, posudivsi neke nase 
ideje i prilagodivsi ih vlastitim lokalnim borbama. Na primjer, "Call 
Against Zero Wage" kritizira odnos ceskih institueija prema kulturnim 
radnicima 14 kojima uskracuje honorare, ili nedavni londonski slucaj 
Ragpickers collectivea 15 , koji ujedinjuje studente i staziste nezadovoljne 
izrabljivanjem i korupeijom u lokalnom sektoru suvremene umjetnosti. 
To nas doista ohrabruje te se nadamo kako ce ljudi i dalje krasti nase 
ideje za opcu dobrobit. 

Djelovanje ArtLeaks-a vidim kao nastavak duge tradieije znacajnih 
inieijativa, koje su zapocele u devetnaestom stoljecu kad su se francuski 
realisti prozvali umjetnickim radnicima i aktivistima i kad su umjetnost i 
politika bile usko povezane, preko konstruktivistickog pokreta u Europi i 
Rusiji s pocetka dvadesetog stoljeca, do Art Workers Coalition u 
Sjedinjenim Drzavama u vrijeme vijetnamskog rata i The Guerrilla Art 
Action Croup, Art&Language i drugih. Iako se cini da je genealogija 
institucionalne kritike temeljito historizirana, ona je za nasjos uvijek 
inspirativna i znacajna, u smislu da su muzeji i izlagacki prostori jos 
uvijek poprista borbi i sukoba s kojih ne smijemo bjezati, vec se ukljuciti, 
izazivati ih i preinaciti u mjesta zajednistva. 

Trenutno, ArtLeaks je jos uvijek grassroot organizaeija, neregistrirana 
i bez stalne adrese, i to projekt cini fleksibilnijim i odrzava njegov 
poteneijal da ostane otvoren sirem sudjelovanju, ali i predstavlja izazov 
njegovom vodenju. Danas postoji jak impuls ka pokretanju aktivistickih 
projekata koji ciljaju na solidarnost i emancipaciju, ali nalazim da na 



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89 


kraju ti projekti ovise o trudu male grupe ljudi koji rade rovoski posao 
kako bi se stvari mogle dogadati. 

Voljela bih da se ArtLeaks vise usmjeri ka udruzivanju s drugim 
internacionalnim akterima kako bi se razotkrilo ne samo neke 
pojedinacne lose slucajeve, vec da se razotkriju mehanizmi koji 
omogucuju status quo, za koji se svi slazemo da je pokvaren i stetan. 
Namjera je prosiriti svijest da ti mehanizmi ne pripadaju samo svijetu 
umjetnosti, vec da vladaju i nasim svakodnevicama, nasim drustvima. 
Mislim da smo po tom pitanju jos uvijek na pocetku. 

DV: Potpuno se slazem s tvojim izjavama, ali iz vlastitog iskustva 

umjetnickog zivljenja mogu red da takvi zadaci traze mnogo visu razinu 
institucionalizacije i akumulacije resursa. Problem je u tome sto 
grassroot politika ima odredena ogranicenja. Da, vrlo je vazno ostati 
vjeran nehijerarhijskim strukturama, ali kad pocnemo razmisljati o 
stvarnoj protuhegemonijskoj borbi koja bi mogla dovesti do promjene, 
onda treba priznati kako nam je potrebna ozbiljna profesionalizaeija, 
podjela posla i duznosti, pronalazenje kadrova itd. Za mene tu najveci 
problem jest kako izgraditi pozieiju institueije koja ne bi samo utjelovila 
model protumoci, vec nanovo izmislila citavu ideju sile. Kako bi opisala 
parametre i protokole za takvu novu vrstu institueije? 

CA: ArtLeaks je na pocetku imao dosta skromne ciljeve koji su se ostvarivali 
uglavnom simbolickom protumoci i solidarnoscu. I mislim daje dobro 
tako zapoceti. Uostalom, radnicki savjeti, na kojima Chto delat? gradi 
svoje djelovanje, bili su grassroot napori da se prakticira direktna 
demokraeija i organiziranje protiv caristicke drzave. Ostale aktivisticke 
grupe koje se bore za slicne ciljeve, poput Precarious Workers' Brigade iz 
Londona 16 , Arts&Labour iz New Yorka 17 , Haben und Brauchen iz Berlina 18 
i May Congress iz Moskve 19 zadrzale su fluidno clanstvo i labavu 
hijerarhijsku strukturu, ali djeluju uspjesno bez institucionalne podrske i 
financijske potpore. To ne znaci da nemaju nikakvih resursa - ako o 
resursima ne razmisljamo samo kao o novcu vec kao o kljucnim ljudima, 
iskustvu, aktivistickim vjestinama, organizaeijskom znanju itd. Oni se 
bore protiv ogranicenja koja namecu institueije te uvidaju nuznost 
njihovog ponovnog promisljanja, preispitivanja njihovih misija, bore se 
protiv sveprisutne represije i presutnog zloupotrebljavanja - kulturnih 
nuspojava neoliberalizma. 

Ovo potonje zagovornici "novoga institucionalizma" u Europi gotovo 
posve ignoriraju. Mislim da su kuratori i kriticari previse fokusirani na 
ponovno prilagodavanje ranijim modelima demokratskih, angaziranih 
institueija koje bi mogle srusiti globalnu kapitalisticku logiku. 20 Ali nitko 
ne uzima za ozbiljno eksploataciju koja se uvukla duboko u sam ustroj 
kritickih institueija. Ukoliko podbacimo u razotkrivanju iskoristavanja i 
ponizenja koje trpe mnogi, sweatshop praksi u umjetnickim 
institueijama, tada smo zapravo jedva zagrebli povrsinu problema. Lako 
zaboravljamo da se u umjetnickom svijetu ne radi samo o umjetnicima, 
kriticarima, galeristima i trzistima, vec i o ljudima koji ciste podove, 
cuvaju prostor, raznose i postavljaju umjetnicka djela i obavljaju 
svakojake poslove bez naknade, od neplacenih prijevoda do volontiranja 
na otvorenjima, serviranja vina i vodenja recepcije. 

Jedna je stvar vise na tragu tvojih pitanja: sto ako umjetnicki svijet 
shvatimo kao vlastito bojiste i istodobno kao agenta-katalizatora 
ukljucenog u suvremene drustvene pokrete? Mislim da borba koja se 
odvija iskljucivo u svijetu umjetnosti i u umjetnickim institueijama nije 


16 Vise o PWB: http:// 
precariousworkersbrigade. 
tumblr.com [pristupljeno 7. rujna 
2014.]. 

17 Vise o Arts&Labor: http:// 
artsandlabor.org [pristupljeno 7. 
rujna 2014.]. 

18 Vise o Haben und Brauchen: 
http://www.habenundbrauchen. 
de/en/ [pristupljeno 7. rujna 
2014.]. 

19 Vise o May Congressu (na 
ruskom): http://may-congress. 
ru [pristupljeno 7. rujna 2014.]. 

20 Alex Farquharson, "Bureaux de 
change", Frieze Magazine, 101 
(rujan 2006). 


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dovoljna i da trebamo puno siru svijest o politickoj solidarnosti, a koja bi 
kulturne proizvodace sjedinila s ostalim potlacenim kategorijama i 
skupinama. 

Da zakljucim, ovo je moj prijedlog onoga sto trebamo i sto vec 
imamo: aktivizam kao stav za drustvenu i politicku promjenu koji izaziva 
neoliberalni poredak skupa s ojacalom desnicom, protuekonomije koje 
nam omogucuju da nas projekt izgradimo autonomno od drzave i 
korporaeija, institueije zasnovane na modelu drustveno-politicke 
subjektivizaeije koje ce komunicirati svoje ideje s najsirom javnosti, a 
ujedno i biti baza za resurse i aktivne strukture, strategije mobilizaeije 
kako bi se ostvarili nasi ciljevi, obrazovanje i samoobrazovanje u cilju 
postizanja vise jednakosti i obilja za sve, i pomoci obespravljenima da 
ostvare svoje pune poteneijale, strukture za organizaeiju informaeija koje 
nam trebaju kako bismo razumjeli ideje, osmislili projekte, zajednicki 
jezik misljenja, pitanja, analiziranja, iznalazenja nacina kako poduzeti 
zajednicke akeije, prelazenje granica i razmisljanje s onu stranu istih te 
vise empatije i skrbi za druge u najsirem smislu rijeci. 

Zanima me kako bi izgledao vas akeijski plan. Sto mislis, pod kojim bi 
okolnostima borba kulturnih proizvodaca mogla postati modelom 
alternativne snage koja reagira na drustvene potrebe i predstavlja 
stvarni otpor mainstreamu prevladavajuce snage? 

DV: Malo sam rezerviran spram onoga sto si rekla - sve zvuci divno i 

prikladno, ali mislim da tome nedostaje konkretne materijalne osnove. 
Prije nego li krenemo razmisljati o zajednickom djelovanju tzv. 
kreativnih proizvodaca i masa kojima oni sluze, sto je vrlo pozeljno, 
moramo uzeti u obzir da "umjetnici, kriticari, prevoditelji, kuratori" i 
ostali tesko pronalaze ikakve osnove za sindikalno organiziranje i 
zajednicku akeiju. Zasto? Zato sto se oni osjecaju vise kao poduzetnici 
na slobodnom trzistu koji kapitaliziraju vlastitu simbolicku i monetarnu 
pozieiju - i to je prava narav njihovog zvanja. Lako je zamijeniti jednu 
cistacicu drugom ili zamijeniti jednog cuvara drugim, ali ako maknete 
umjetnika, kuratora ili producenta projekta, onda se stvari stubokom 
mijenjaju. 

Sve sam skepticniji prema nametanju zastarjelih zahtjeva za borbom, 
s obzirom na potpuno novi tip proizvodnih odnosa, pogotovu u situaeiji 
u kojoj je pritisak rezervne armije nezaposlenih radnika tako visok. U 
namjeri da promijenimo proizvodni aparat - a upravo to je glavni 
zadatak svake promjene o kojoj govorimo - moramo preciznije 
analizirati kakve su nase moguenosti; a one su vrlo ogranicene, jer tko 
danas mijenja "proizvodni aparat"? Neoliberali i vlade, naravno. Kad 
kazes da su progresivne institueije ogranicene u imaginiranju promjene, 
u pravu si, jer one (jednakoje s politikom) moraju braniti ostatke 
zlatnog doba socijaldemokracije zajedno s njezinom idejom o 
proizvodnji zaista jednakih gradana, gradanski osvjestenih. Danas nitko 
ne treba ljude s gradanskom svijescu - oni trebaju potrosace kulturnih 
usluga. Napori odozdo nisu dovoljni da se ova predodzba promijeni - 
trebamo razmisljati o promjeni na razini makro-moci. Dakle, predlozio 
bih da zadatak mikro-institueija bude razvijanje jasnih materijalnih 
programa kulturne reforme i obrazovanja, osmisljavajuci kako bi trebale 
funcionirati u ovom historijskom trenutku i u buduenosti. Nazalost, mi 
trenutno nemamo nista od toga, osim cisto demokratskih zahtjeva da 
se rijesimo cenzure ili korupeije. A cini se i da vecini dobrih inieijativa 
koje si spomenula nedostaje strateska vizija. One operiraju takticki 


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reagirajuci na pojedine slucajeve nepravde, ali ne uvode nove vizije. 
Slazes li se? 

CA: Stvarno mi se svida tvoja sugestija o razvitku programa kulturne 
reforme i obrazovanja i slazem se s tvojom kritikom suvremenih 
alternativa u odredenoj mjeri. Ali ovu situaeiju ipak drzim slozenom i 
nazirem moguenost spasa u daljnjem razvoju Ijevice buduci da su 
kreativni proizvodaci vec krajem devetnaestog stoljeca, kad se pojam 
umjetnickog radnika javlja u kontekstu Pariske komune, zauzimali 
nesigurnu pozieiju u meduprostoru klasne stratifikaeije tadasnjeg 
drustva. Nas je glavni zadatak da kriticki promisljamo ovu pozieiju, kako 
je pozitivno djelovala na razvoj samog drustva. Kronologija ovakvog 
promisljanja i otpora moze se pratiti kroz avangardne pokrete: Dada, 
konstruktivizam, cak i nadrealizam, kad su se umjetnici i teoreticari 
pobunili protiv larpurlartizma i pokusali prihvatiti vise proleterski 
identitet, mada se uvelike nisu slagali oko toga sto bi to doista i znacilo. 
U tom smislu, mozemo konceptualizirati historijski razvoj angaziranih 
umjetnickih proizvodaca u dijalektickom odnosu nas samih i drustva; 
stoga promjena jednog nuzno znaci i promjenu onog drugog. Makro- 
razina i grassroots ne postoje odvojeno jedna bez druge. U pravu si kad 
naglasavas teskoce i zamke sindikalnog organiziranja koje nisu samo 
odlika suvremenog doba, vec su historijski zasnovane u samoj definieiji 
"umjetnickog radnika" kakva nastaje u Courbetovo vrijeme. Razlog 
tome, u jednu ruku, lezi u pojmu stvaranja koje naizgled izmice svakom 
pokusaju kvantitativnog odredenja, a u drugu ruku, na prakticnoj razini, 
kao radnicima, nas rad za sobom povlaci zazivanje osjecaja zajednistva, 
gradenje infrastrukture i jacanje mod umjetnickih institueija stvarajuci 
prostor kreiranja i odrzavanja nasljeda borbi. 

Calerije, muzeji, umjetnicki instituti, fondadje itd., nastali su unutar 
ideoloskog i ekonomskog polja koje je nejednako i neravnomjerno, ali 
svejedno kao institueije pocivaju na radu onih kreativnih proizvodaca 
kojima rukovode. To ukljucuje umjetnike, kuratore, producente i ostalo 
muzejsko osoblje, pa i publiku koja ce vjerojatno suosjecati kad 
progovorimo. Sumnjicava sam spram borbe koja ukljucuje samo neke 
kategorije, a druge iskljucuje. Mislim da se moramo boriti za gradansku 
svijest koja nas sve povezuje. 

DV: Slazem se donekle, ali kako da ne ogranicimo solidarnost na jednu 
kulturnu granu ekonomije - mozes li zamisliti kampanju solidarnosti 
medu zajednicom kreativnih Mac-korisnika i izrabljivanih kineskih 
radnika iz Macovih tvornica? Na ovom primjeru mozemo vidjeti koliko 
se tesko organizirati. Sjeti se i historijskog primjera, problema koje su 
industrijski radnici imali s tradicionalnom seljackom zajednicom (koja je 
u Sovjetskom Savezu bila strasno izrabljivana i fizicki gotovo posve 
unistena). Medutim, moramo od necega poceti, a cini mi se da jos nismo 
napravili ni prvi korak, a koji bi bio razumijevanje te nove liminalne 
subjektivnosti izmedu poduzetnistva i nadnicarskog rada kao klasnog 
interesa. Ali, mozda je neoliberalizam to bolje razumio te smo svi mi 
sudionici u njegovom slavljenju prekarnosti, stanju koje je zapravo 
savrsen simbol istinske kreativnosti i rizika. Stovise, mozda su svi ti 
kreativni radnici i sami pioniri neoliberalnog razvoja te se sasvim dobro 
osjecaju u postojecem sistemu, ili samo pronalaze nacin kako da prezive 
u njegovoj progresivnijoj ili reakeionarnijoj verziji? 

Dokje djelovanje u umjetnosti oduvijek podrazumijevalo nesigurnost 
i rizik, neoliberalizam pociva na apsolutnoj nejednakosti i izrabljivanju, a 




photo Hans Winkler 


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to je upravo srz nase misije. Danas imamo vrlo ogranicenu autonomiju 
medu alternativnim ili angaziranim umjetnickim praksama s jedne i 
neoliberalizma galerija-muzeja-casopisa-umjetnickog trzista s druge 
strane, stoga moramo djelovati na sustav iznutra i izvana. Vjerujem da 
takav slozeni pritisak na institueije moze imati uspjeha. Da se vratimo 
na primjer AWC-a koji su 1970. formirali savez skupa s udruzenjem 
zaposlenika MoMA-e. Djelujuci simultano i unutar i izvan 
institucionalnih okvira, njihova koalieija umjetnika-aktivista i 
zaposlenog osoblja uspjela 1970. godine osnovati PASTA-u. To je bio 
jedan od prvih sluzbenih sindikata umjetnickih radnika u Sjedinjenim 
Drzavama. 

lako to ostaje vaznom historijskom referencom, ne vjerujem da je 
model "umjetnickih radnika" jedini nacin koji moze odvesti do 
drustveno-politicke transformaeije. On je za mene vise utjelovljenje 
ideje kolektivnog, samoorganiziranog, politicki osvijestenog projekta 
koji moze dovesti do transformaeije drustva. Naziv "umjetnicki radnici" 
svojevrstan je nadimak koji nam pomaze prepoznati moguenosti takve 
transformaeije na historijski svjestan nacin. 

Ali, u pravu si kad istices taj nedostatak, a to je manjak strateske 
vizije s kojim smo suoceni, a mislim da se on osjeca i u trenutnoj 
fragmentaeiji drustveno angaziranih, politicki orijentiranih aktivistickih 
praksi. Kategorije kao sto su aktivisticka umjetnost, intervencionizam, 
drustvena praksa, institucionalna kritika, relacijska estetika itd, nisu 
kohezivne u svojoj taktici ili ciljevima, niti su povezane sa sirim 
drustvenim pokretom odakle bi se mogle formulirati strategije 
drustvene transformaeije. Moguce da je ovo samo po sebi 
simptomaticno kao efekt neoliberalne ideologije: naglaseni 
individualizam, poduzetnistvo, privatizaeija, stav uradi-sam. Kao 
protuprimjer posluzit ce avangardni pokreti s pocetka dvadesetog 
stoljeca koji su pronasli zajednicki interes s organiziranom i 
revolucionarnom Ijevicom, dok su poslijeratnu neoavangardu okupile 
opozicijske taktike Nove Ijevice. Danasnji umjetnicki proizvodaci trebaju 
nesto vise od tog duha uradimo-to-zajedno, veci zajednicki interes, 
razvijeniju strategiju i plan transformaeije. 


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From intervention 
to infrastructure 

ArtLeaks [Corina Apostol & Dmitry Vilensky (Chto Delat?)] 


oi More about ArtLeaks: http:// 
art-leaks.org/about/ [accessed 7 
September 2014]. 

02 For documentation on our 
assemblies please see: http:// 
art-leaks.org/public-actions/ 
[accessed 7 September 2014], 

03 The ArtLeaks Gazette is available 
here: http://art-leaks.org/ 
artleaks-gazette/ [accessed 7 
September 2014]. 


n 2011, ArtLeaks 1 emerged as a 
collective, grassroots platform 
initiated by an international group of 
artists, curators, activists, art 
historians in response to the intense 
abuse of professional integrity and 
infraction of cultural producers' 
labour rights. \Ne considered the 
politically responsible action was not to let 
such abuses disappear but subject them to 
public inquiry by posting them online. The 
suppression of debate around conditions of 
exploitation in art production and the politics 
of corporate and state sponsorship were 
deeply troubling to us. As our platform gained 
more experience over its first year of existance, 
we began to articulate more clearly that we 
were not dealing with particular cases of 
abuse, but general conditions of inequality, 
precarity and repression that were indeed, 
globalized. 

Our activities as ArtLeaks are focused on 
the one hand on publishing "leaks" of cases 
from different parts of the world and which we 
submit to the public for debate and open 
inquiry into bad practices. Our goal is to bring 
these cases to light within a broader socio¬ 
political and economic context, not 
dissociating the art world from the larger 
picture. 

In June 2cm we also began to organize 
public assemblies around local contexts and 
global concerns. 2 The choice of location 
depended on the one hand on some of 
platform's founders' connections to certain 
scenes, for example some of us are currently 
living and working in London, Moscow, New 
York, Belgrade, and on the other on invitation 


we received to take part in artistic-activist 
initiatives. Our assemblies and workshops 
functioned as consciousness raising forums 
through which we tried to connect with local 
actors fighting around similar struggles, and 
with any cultural workers that had experienced 
abuse and felt ready to join us in formulating 
strategies on how to make meaningful 
changes for the future. 

Then, in May 2013, co-founders Corina L. 
Apostol, Vladan Jeremic, David Riff and Dmitry 
Vilensky published the ArtLeaks Gazette, 3 
through which we aimed to refect more 
critically on forms of precarious labour, 
repression and exploitation that go on in the 
arts and culture sectors around the world, and 
how alternatives have been formulated 
historically and continue to be developed 
today. 

Until now, we have not been funded or 
supported by any external institution or 
foundation. We decided to keep the project as 
open as possible to anyone that is ready to 
contribute, and not subordinated to private or 
state interests - following the model of a 
grassroots initiative. While this decision makes 
the platform more vulnerable, unpredictable 
and indeed "precarious," we believe this has 
also been a strength and an expression of 
confidence in a better (art)world. 

When invited to contribute to this issue 
of Frakcija we decided to push these concerns 
further in the direction of models for new 
institutions and ways of collectivizing artistic 
labour. While we cannot provide perfect 
solutions under variable conditions of 
legislation and practices that regulate the flow 
of resources and opportunities, we would like 



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to address questions like, what happens under 
circumstances that one cannot pay or doesn't 
get paid? How to organize across categories 
such as "artist" "curator" "critic" and other 
lesser visible workers in the art system? How 
to find a language to talk about common 
problems and articulate demands collectively? 
Most importantly, our modest initiative aims 
to show that the state of things is truly 
horrible, and that only by exerting pressure 
together, we can make a difference. With this 
in mind, we will raise these concerns in 
dialogue, drawing both on our experiences 
with ArtLeaks over the last couple of years and 
our practices in the field of contemporary art. 


04 More about Chto Delat?: http:// 
www.chtodelat.org [accessed 7 
September 2014], 


CA: I would like to begin with your work within Chto Delat? / What is to be 
done? 4 , which you co-founded in 2003 in St. Petersburg, Russia. In the 
past ten years you've acted as part of this collective of artists, activists, 
educators in Russia, dedicating a lot of time and resources to building a 
critical context. While perhaps you were not able to build it 
institutionally in your context, you constructed it with ideas, 
discussions, screenings, publications. You insisted that from the scarcity 
of your means of production, you could still achieve an autonomy of 
working outside institutional frameworks and the profit logic. How do 
you position yourself strategically in this context - living in an 
authoritarian society without being cynical? 

DV: Yes, it is true that in Russia we still stay outside of almost any 

institutional framework. That is why our local trajectory of development 
is more about establishing a type of counter-institution. And I hope 
that we actually managed to create a space of, so to say "engaged 
autonomy" that shares a lot of qualities with a proper institution. We 
created through intense and long process of collaboration with 
different people a very strong and relatively large network for the 
production and distribution of our work, we have our own economy 
which has channels of redistribution in the form of the Chto Delat? 
fund, which we use for the support of our activity outside of 
institutional support and which also supports a different range of 
activities of our local artistic-activist communities. The fund is raised 
with the money we get from our regular art activity (screening fees, 
donations from productions and so on). Most of our partners in Russia 
operate outside of the art world, and actually we always conceived the 
intelligentsia as our targeted public (or people with basic civic 
consciousness). We were never afraid of staying outside the very cynical 
and senseless part of the art world, and at the same time maintaining a 
certain pressure on it through our growing international recognition. 
This is a strategy which has helped us operate for the last no years and 
attain bigger visibility and audiences. 

CA: Your work is a powerful critique of the neoliberal world, with all its fake 
dreams and selling out, and its promotion in art and culture as 
beneficial. A critical issue that artists are forced to face today is that art 
has become normalized as a commodity. This situation is very different 
from the beginning of your artistic career in the 1980s in the Soviet 
Union, when dissident or nonconformist art was more about ideological 
struggles and autonomy from the state. How do you now negotiate this 
relationship between art and the market? How do you see this affected 
your activities over the last io years? And also, as someone criticizing 
issues common to Europe and the West, and not only directed towards 
what is happening in Russia? 

DV: I think that after io years we learned that ideological struggle is getting 
more and more complex and nuanced, but it is nonetheless brutal. 
Complex in a sense that it takes place outside of any real political 
ground and it is culturalized more than ever. And brutal in the sense of 
deploying any possibility of real political change. These complexities are 
actually revealed in your question when you speak about "commodity 
normalization" - yes it is true that any art work could be bought and 
sold, even a totally dematerialized ones, but the big paradox is that the 
so-called "99%" of art production will never find its market. It is an 
enormous production of waste and excess and that's why it is so 


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exciting. Also, I do not think that before art was more about politics and 
ideology than today. In my view, most artistic production after the 
1960s internationally was (and still is) not implicitly political. Even 
intellectually it could not reflect its political potential, yet it was 
instrumentalised during the Cold War - but that is another story which 
has no direct relations to art's politics. 

For example the issue of labour in art was not really discussed at all a 
decade ago (we all make references to the Art Workers' Coalition). 5 To 
speak about art & labour sounded very strange and only now with all 
the proliferation of creative industries and economies it became a 
rather hip topic. What do you think, how far does this issue relates to 
politics or is this a more or less conventional struggle on economic 
rights, which has its obvious limits? 

CA: Today, there are initiatives such as W.A.C.E. (Working Artists and the 
Greater Economy) 6 in the United States, an activist project which is 
trying to regulate the payment of artist fees by nonprofits and to 
establish a best practices model for cultural producers and institutions. 

I could also mention a platform spearheaded by Evgenia Abramova in 
Moscow, 7 which deals with the legal rights of cultural workers in 
contemporary art institutions. And we recently published Fokus Grupa's 
study "Artists' Contracts and Artists' Rights" 8 in the ArtLeaks Gazette, 
which historicizes cultural workers' attempts to control and define the 
conditions of their labor and instrumentalization of their art from 
Gustave Courbet to Kazimir Malevich, Adrian Piper and Seth Siegelaub. 

While these are, of course, very valuable initiatives with which we as 
ArtLeaks continue to collaborate, in my view our activities are also 
directed towards revealing and hopefully resisting the toxic symptoms 
of neoliberalism in the art and cultural sector (such as the instrumenta¬ 
lization of culture for purely commercial gains, endless volunteerism or 
unpaid internships, self-precarization, (self)censorship, the evacuation of 
culture from the political), that is inside the so-called "totality of 
capitalism." Rights and fair payments are just a piece of this larger 
picture. It is not enough to demand fair treatment defined in ethical or 
economic terms, we have to address the violence of the system as a 
whole. I believe ArtLeaks provides an opportunity to take a risk, leave out 
political politeness and speak up, to address the root of these problems. I 
also want to emphasize that self-censorship in contemporary art is a 
constant struggle, as it is embedded in our thinking, in the institutions in 
which we work, in our social relations. For me, it has become necessary 
to explore practices of art activism, interventionism, institutional 
critique, to develop a critical art practice that reacts/acts in the very 
problematic spaces in which we work, from museums to kunsthalles, 
galleries, festivals and through which we reach our audiences. 

I want to turn to a concrete example regarding institutions, namely 
one of your latest projects with Chto Delat?: "You Don't Have to be 
Leftist to Think Like That - An Exhibition as a School" (2cm) 9 in St. 
Petersburg. As you yourself stated, the project used the format of 
workshops, lectures, roundtables and exhibitions to create situations 
and spaces for cultural workers to engage in emancipatory politics and 
counteract culture's commercialization. The project carried a critique of 
the notion of institutionalization and was aimed at the local audience 
as a form of awakening consciousness, and I would suggest, as a model 
for a using the conventional exhibition and discussion format as a 


05 For a detailed history of the Art 
Workers' Coalition see: http:// 
www.primaryinformation.org/ 
index.php?/projects/art- 
workers-coalition/ [accessed 7 
September 2014], 

06 More about W.A.C.E.: http:// 
www.wageforwork.com 
[accessed 7 September 2014], 

07 More about art workers' labor 
conditions in Moscow: http:// 
art-leaks.0rg/2013/05/25/ 
evegenia-abramova-on-art- 
workers-labor-conditions- 
moscow/ [accessed 7 September 
2014], 

08 Fokus Crupa, Artists' Contracts 
and Artists' Rights, ArtLeaks 
Gazette, May 2013, pg. 63-73, 
available online: https:// 
ia801702.us.archive.0rg/20/ 
items/ArtLeaksGazette/AL- 
Gazette-Fokus-Grupa.pdf 
[accessed 7 September 2014], 

09 More about the project on Chto 
Delat?'s website: http://www. 
chtodelat.org/?option=com_co 
ntent&view=article&id=i045&lt 
emid=493&lang=en [accessed 7 
September 2014], 


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10 More about the Bureau of 
Melodramatic Research: http:// 
thebureau ofmelodramatic 
research.blogspot.ro [accessed 7 
September 2014]. 

11 More about Postspectacle: 
http://postspectacle.blogspot. 
ro [accessed 7 September 2014]. 

12 Olga Stefan's interview with 
Paradis Caraj in Art Margins, July 
2012, available online: http:// 
artmargins.com/index.php/5- 
interviews/672-interview-with- 
paradis-garaj-bucharest 
[accessed 7 September 2014]. 

13 Raluca Voinea is curator and art 
critic, co-editor of IDEA Arts + 
Society, The Long April. Texte 
despre arta and the director of 
tranzit.ro in Bucharest. 


structure for political subjectivation that challenges our expectations of 
what an artwork or exhibition could be. And I believe it is particularly 
urgent and difficult to produce such a project in Russia, where we see 
the absence of a civil society and where the authorities blatantly 
encourage reactionary forces and their violence. At the same time, I 
think such a project is also relevant to contexts where public places are 
disappearing and even art schools cannot provide shelter against 
commercialism or corporate interests. How to maintain a certain 
freedom in thinking and building ideas? 

DV: I do not use so much of this word "freedom" because we have some 
troubles with how this concept is (mis)used. Art is not about freedom - 
it is about the urgency and inescapability of some liberation work and 
struggle. In my view, today the struggle for people's liberation must 
also happen inside the commercial and corporate landscape, simply 
because we do not have many other spaces where real change is at 
stake. Realistically speaking, we are limited to what you correctly called 
"consciousness raising" - but it is a too abstract term - we always need 
to explain: What kind of consciousness we want to promote? 

We think about singularities that could enchant the world with new 
meanings, that could be concerned about the commons, capable of 
collective doings, of care about the Other, that resist any forms of 
oppression. We need to unlock people's dependence on the economic 
pressure of bare life and survival. 

CA: I agree with you that art is not only about freedom, but I also draw on 
the experiences of dramatic socio-political transformations in Romania 
that began in 1989: revolution, democracy, the passage from so-called 
"communism" to capitalism. For my generation this brought a deep 
political awareness, which Dan Perjovschi poignantly captured: "Before 
the 90s we talked about freedom, now we talk about money." So for me 
"Freedom" still carries this radical connotation. 

And even though I have been studying and working in the United 
States for over eight years, I still feel compelled to return home and to 
accept the challenges of the environment in Romania, where 
neoliberalism is in full bloom, the intelligentsia is almost entirely right- 
wing, galleries and the market claim hegemony. I think it is not 
coincidental that a significant part ArtLeaks' constituency comes from 
this context: The Bureau of Melodramatic Research 10 , PostSpectacle 11 , 
Paradis Caraj 12 , Raluca Voinea 13 our co-founding members - represent a 
handful of artists and critics from the so-called independent scene in 
Bucharest (that is they do not work for any state institution but have 
developed an alternative way of implementing critical projects through 
outside support) who are tired of the greed, stupidity, obedience and 
lack of critical discourse they see around them and want to change 
things in the culture. 

DV: Turning now more to ArtLeaks, how far do you see it becoming an 
institution, how should it operate and what kind of constituencies 
should it create in the future? 

CA: When we launched ArtLeaks, it was important to us to use our real 
names and make concrete demands, to take responsibility and not 
make it leaderless project like we have seen with Anonymous or the 
Occupy Movement. We also emphasized the international scope of the 
platform, and its goal to unite not just artists, but also curators, critics, 
philosophers, activists - which we identify as art workers or producers. 


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At the same time, we encouraged anyone who was ready to share 
their case to use anonymity if necessary, because no one should lose 
their job or be blacklisted for submitting to this project, although that 
can happen anyway. For example, I remember when we launched 
ArtLeaks several of us who wrote about their experiences as artists, 
interns, curators received threats from the management of Pavilion 
Unicredit Bucharest for damaging their reputation and jeopardizing 
their relationship with their main sponsor. This happened even though 
we were diligent to publish their own version of the events together 
with our testimonies, so you never know how violently people may 
react to these "leaks." 

Also, similarly to our archive of "leaked cases" that can be consulted 
online at any time, Bojana Piskur, of the Radical Education Collective 
and curator in Moderna galerija, in Ljubljana, together with Dorde 
Balmazovic, a member of the Skart Collective, Belgrade, have put 
together a research investigation "Cultural Workers' Inquiry" (2012) 
based on Marx's A Workers' Inquiry and concerning the position of a 
handful of cultural workers in Serbia. It can be downloaded from our 
site and there you can read a lot of straightforward testimonies of 
blacklisting and corruption given by the participants. 

And even though the art world is like you once remarked "like a big 
family" where everyone more or less knows each other, in some of our 
cases cultural workers used a collective, anonymous identity to blow 
the whistle and they were successful - for example, the case of the 
"Unknown Artists" who were protesting against the exploitative gallery 
system in Los Angeles and only used our website to post their stories 
via an anonymous, collective name. 

It was equally important for us to keep the project open for 
participation to anyone that expresses solidarity with our work and 
feels the urgency of the cause. At the same time, I have to admit that 
our constituency has not changed a great deal from two years ago, 
although we have received many declarations of support. However, I 
noticed how after our Assemblies some local activists developed their 
own platforms, borrowing some ideas from us and adapting them for 
their local struggles. For example the "Call Against Zero Wage" which 
criticizes Czech institutions'treatment of cultural producers 14 , denying 
them fees; or more recently the Ragpickers collective in London 15 , which 
unites student and intern dissenters of the exploitation and corruption 
in the local contemporary art sector. This is a great encouragement for 
us, and we hope people will continue stealing ideas from us and using 
them for the good. 

I also see ArtLeaks drawing on a long line of important initiatives 
beginning with the 19 th century when the French Realists called 
themselves art workers and activists, and when art and politics were 
bound together, to the early 20 th century Constructivist movement in 
Europe and Russia, to the Art Workers Coalition in the United States 
during the Vietnam Era, The Guerrilla Art Action Group, Art & Language 
and others. Although genealogy of institutional critique seems to have 
been historicized, it still holds relevance and inspiration for us, in the 
sense that for us the museum, the exhibition space, are still 
battlegrounds for struggle and conflict, which we should not escape 
from but engage with, challenge, transform into spaces for the 


14 More about this initiative here: 
http://vyzvaprotinulovemzde. 
blogspot.ro/p/call-against-zero- 
wage.html [accessed 7 
September 2014], 

15 More about this platform here: 
http://ragpickers.tumblr.com 
[accessed 7 September 2014], 


common. 


98 


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16 More about PWB: http:// 
precariousworkersbrigade. 
tumblr.com [accessed 7 
September 2014]. 

17 More about Arts&Labor: http:// 
artsandlabor.org [accessed 7 
September 2014]. 

18 More about Haben und 
Brauchen: http://www. 
habenundbrauchen.de/en/ 
[accessed 7 September 2014], 

19 More about the May Congress 
(in Russian): http://may- 
congress.ru [accessed 7 
September 2014]. 

20 Alex Farquharson, "Bureaux de 
change", Frieze Magazine, 101 
(September 2006). 


Currently, ArtLeaks remain a grassroots organization that is not 
registered or based anywhere, and I think this brings flexibility and 
potentiality for the project to remain open for broader participation, 
but it is also a challenge to keep it going. Today there is a great 
momentum in establishing these activist projects that are about 
solidarity and emancipation, but I find that in the end, they rest on the 
efforts of a small group of people who do the groundwork to make 
things happen. 

I would like ArtLeaks to develop more in the direction of joining 
forces with other international actors to expose not this or that bad 
situation but reveal the mechanisms that perpetuate the status quo 
which we all agree is broken and abusive. And to build awareness that 
these mechanisms are not only of the art world but they are also 
governing our every-day lives, our societies. I think we are still at the 
beginning in this respect. 

DV: I totally agree with what you said, but from my experience of artistic life 
these tasks demand a much higher level of institutionalization and 
accumulation of resources. The problem is that grass-roots politics have 
certain limits. Yes, it is very important to maintain a fidelity to non- 
hierarchical structures but when we start to think about a real counter- 
hegemonic struggle which could make a difference, then we need to 
acknowledge that we require serious professionalization, division of 
labour, head-hunting and so on. So for me the biggest question is how 
to build a position of the institution which could not simply embody a 
model of counter-power but reinvent the whole idea of the force? How 
would you describe the parameters and protocols of this new type of 
institution? 

CA: ArtLeaks initially had rather modest aims that were achieved through 
symbolic counter-power and solidarity. And I think that is a good place 
to begin: after all, even the workers' soviets which Chto Delat? grounds 
were a grassroots effort to practice direct democracy and organizing 
against the Tsarist state. Activist groups engaged in similar struggles, 
for example, Precarious Workers' Brigade in London 16 , Arts&Labor in 
New York 17 , Haben und Brauchen in Berlin 18 and the May Congress in 
Moscow 19 maintain fluid membership and loose hierarchical structure, 
making a difference without institutional support or funding. But it 
doesn't follow that they don't have any resources - if you think of 
resources not just as capital, but also as key people, of experience, 
activist know-how, organizational knowledge etc. They are reacting 
against the limits of institutions and the need to re-think them, re¬ 
write their missions, fight against proliferating repression and tacit 
abuse - the cultural side-effects of neoliberalism. 

The latter are almost unacknowledged by the proponents of "new 
institutionalism" in Europe. In my view, these curators and critics are 
too focused on readapting past models of democratic, engaged 
institutions that could subvert the global capitalist logic. 20 But no one 
really takes seriously the exploitation that grips deep inside critical 
institutions' constituencies. If we fail to address the condition of the 
many others who endure even more abuse and humiliation, of the 
sweatshop practices in art institutions, then we are just scratching at 
the surface. We easily forget that the art world is not only about artists, 
critics, galleries and markets but about the people who clean the floors, 
guard the space, move the art works, and do all sorts of uncompensated 


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work from unpaid translations to volunteers serving wine at openings 
and managing at the reception desk. 

One issue which is more to the point of your questions, is what if we 
consider art world itself as its own battleground and at the same time a 
catalyzing agent engaged with social movements today? I think a 
struggle that is solely within the art world and art institutions is not 
enough, but we need a much larger sense of political solidarity, where 
by cultural producers join other oppressed categories and assemble. 

To summarize, this is my proposal of what we need and what we 
already have: activism as an attitude for social and political change that 
challenges the neoliberal order and the rise of the far-right, counter¬ 
economies to enable us to make our project with some autonomy from 
the state and corporations, institutions based on models for socio¬ 
political subjectivisation, to communicate ideas to diverse publics, to be 
a base for resources and active structures, strategies for mobilization to 
achieve our goals, education and self-education to achieve greater 
equality and wealth for all, to help disenfranchised peoples achieve their 
full potential, structures to organize the information that we need, to 
understand ideas, conceive projects, a common language of thinking, 
asking, analyzing, identifying how we can undertake actions in 
common, to cross boundaries and to think across boarders, we need 
more empathy and care for the other in a broad sense. 

I am curious to hear what your plan of action would be. Under what 
circumstances do you think that a struggle of cultural producers can 
become a model for an alternate force that is reactive to social needs 
and is a real resistance to the mainstream, of the dominant power? 

DV: I have some reservations about what you said - everything sounds very 
good and appropriate but it somewhat lacks a concrete material base. 
Before you can speculate about joint action between so-called creative 
producers and the masses whom they serve - which is highly desirable - 
what we have to deal with is that "artists, critics, translators, curators" 
and so on can hardly find any ground for unionizing and common 
action. Why? Because they feel more like free market entrepreneurs 
who capitalize their own symbolic and monetary position - and this is 
the true nature of this profession. One could easily change one cleaner 
for another one, or one guard with another and nothing will change, but 
if you change an artist and curator, or producer of a project, then things 
always transform itself drastically. 

I am increasingly skeptical about imposing "old-school" demands for 
the struggle given the completely new type of production relations and 
particularly in the situation where the pressure of the reserved army of 
unemployed workers is so high. In order to change the production 
apparatus - and this is actually the main task of any change that we are 
talking about - we need to analyze more precisely what kind of 
possibilities we have at hand; and they are quite limited because, who is 
changing the "production apparatus" today? The neoliberals and the 
governments, of course. When you say that progressive institutions are 
limited in their imagination of change - you are right because they (like 
in politics) have to defend the residues of the golden age of social 
democracy with its clear idea of the production of proper, civic 
concerned, equal citizens. Today, no one needs people with a civic 
consciousness - they need consumers of cultural services. Efforts from 
below are not enough to change this idea - we should be concerned 


100 


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about the macro-power level. So I would suggest that the current task 
of micro-institutions could be developing precise material programs of 
cultural reform and education, formulating how they should function at 
this historical moment and for the future. Unfortunately we do not 
have any at hands, apart from pure democratic demands to get rid of 
censorship or corruption. And it looks like most of the good initiatives 
which you mentioned lack this strategic vision. They tactically operate 
by reacting against this or that case of injustice but they not introduce 
new visions. Do you agree? 

CA: I really like your suggestion of developing programs of cultural reform 
and education and I agree with your critique of the current alternatives 
to some degree. But I also see the situation in a more nuanced and 
hopeful way, within the development of the Left. Because creative 
producers have since the late ig th century, when the term art worker 
was used in the context of the Paris Commune, occupied a precarious 
and in-between position within the class stratification of society and 
our main task has been to critically reflect on this position so as to 
positively affect the growth of society itself. This chronology of 
reflection and resistance can be traced through the avant-garde 
movements, Dada, Constructivism, even Surrealism when artists and 
theorists opposed the notion of "art for art's sake" and attempted to 
embrace a more proletarian identity, even though they widely disagreed 
about what exactly this meant. In this sense, we can conceptualize the 
historical development of engaged creative producers as a dialectical 
relationship between ourselves, and society; therefore, the 
transformation of one cannot occur independently of the other. The 
macro-level and the grassroots do not exist separated from one 
another. You are right to point out the difficulties and pitfalls in 
unionizing which exist not only today, but are historically grounded in 
the very definition of the term "art worker" as it emerged during the 
times of Courbet. Because on the one hand, it is about creation which 
seems to escape all quantifiable equations, but on the other hand, at a 
practical level, as workers, our labour entails engendering a sense of 
community, building infrastructure, and leveraging the power of art 
institutions, creating a space to create and to preserve the legacy of the 
struggles. 

Galleries, Museums, Art Institutes, Foundations etc., are built within 
an ideological and economic field which is unequal and uneven, but 
nonetheless, as institutions they are predicated on the labour of those 
creative producers that they manage. This includes artists, curators, 
producers but also other museum staff and the public that is likely to be 
sympathetic when we speak out. I am skeptical of a struggle that 
includes only some categories but not the others. I think we need to 
fight for that civic consciousness which binds us. 

DV: I agree to some extent, but how can we not limit solidarity to one 
cultural branch of economy - can you imagine a solidarity campaign 
between the creative Mac-user community and the exploited Chinese 
workers producing it? Through this example we realize how difficult it 
could be to organize. Also remember the historic troubles that industrial 
workers had with the traditional peasant community (which in the 
Soviet Union were overexploited and physically destroyed to a great 
extent). But we need to start somewhere and I feel like the first step has 
not even been taken - that is, understanding this new liminal 


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101 


subjectivity between entrepreneurship and wage labour as a class 
interest. But maybe neoliberalism got it better and we are all part of its 
celebration of precarity, a condition which is actually a perfect symbol 
of true creativity and risk. Moreover, maybe all those creative workers 
are the real pioneers of neoliberal developments and they feel quite OK 
with this system, or find a way to survive in a more progressive or 
reactionary version of it? 

While being in the arts has always been about precarity and risk, 
neoliberalism is predicated on sheer inequality and exploitation and 
that is precisely at the core of our mission. Today, we have very limited 
autonomy between alternative or engaged art practices and the 
gallery-museum-magazine-art market neoliberalism, therefore we 
should tackle the whole of the system from within and without. I 
believe a multi-layered approach to putting pressure on institutions can 
be successful. To return to the AWC example, in 1970 their group formed 
an alliance with MoMA's Staff Association and by working 
simultaneously from both inside and outside institutional boundaries, 
their coalition of art-activists and the staff members were able to 
establish PASTA in 1970. This was one of the first official unions of art 
workers in the United States. 

While this remains an important historical reference, I do not think 
that the "art workers" model is the only means by which to precipitate 
socio-political transformation. Rather, for me it embodies the idea of a 
collective, self-organized, politically concerned project that can lead to 
the transformation of a society. Art workers is a moniker that helps us 
recognize the possibility of such a transformation, in a historically 
conscious way. 

But you are right in pointing out the lack of a strategic vision that 
we face, and in my view this is also palpable in the current 
fragmentation of socially engaged, politically committed, activist 
practices. Categories such as activist art, interventionism, social 
practice, institutional critique, relational aesthetics etc. are not cohesive 
in their tactics or demands, neither are they affiliated with a broader 
social movement from which to formulate strategies of social 
transformation. Arguably, this is in itself symptomatic of the effects of 
neoliberal ideology: heightened individualism, entrepreneurship, 
privatization, a do-it-yourself attitude. As a counter-example, early 20 th 
century avant-garde movements found a common ground with the 
organized, revolutionary Left, while the post war, neo-avant-garde was 
brought together by the oppositional tactics of the New Left. Today's 
art producers need more of that do-it-together spirit, a greater 
common interest and a more developed strategy and plan for 
transformation. 




























104 


KRITIKE I OSVRTI 


Frakcija #68/69 

Umjetnost i novae 


Od estetizaeije krize do politicke estetike krize 

Gal Kirn 

Od estetizaeije 
krize do politieke 
estetike krize 

(The State of/and the Body 1 The Body 
Economic Margarete Kern) 


Cal Kirn 


S engleskoga prevela Marina Miladinov 


oi Andre Corz, Farewell to the 
Working Class: An Essay on Post- 
Industrial Socialism (London: 
Pluto Press, 1982). 

02 Etienne Balibar je pokazao na 
koji nacin je klasna borba danas 
izmjestena putem 
kulturalizacije, politike 
identiteta i aksioma da imamo 
drustvo bez klasa. „From class 
struggle to struggles without 
classes" u: Graduate Faculty 
Philosophy Journal, 14.1 (1991), 
str. 7-21. 


Uvod: kriza reprezentaeije, reprezentaeija krize 



asu bismo danasnjicu, umjesto zizekovskog "kraja 
vremena", trebali dijagnosticirati kao vrijeme 
permanentne krize, kojoj kao da nema kraja. Svima 
onima koji nastoje ostvariti drustvenu promjenu 
cini se da se, sto se vise borimo protiv ekstremnih 
mjera stednje i sto vise razmisljamo o izlazu iz 
krize, kriza produbljuje i unistava ono stoje jos 
ostalo od socijalne drzave, bilo u njezinoj 
socijalistickoj ili kapitalistickoj varijanti. Sto vise klasne svijesti, to vise mjera 
stednje, sto ocito znaci da vladajuca klasa ne spava, nego aktivno sudjeluje u 
neoliberalnom, (de-)regulacijskom modusu izlaza iz krize. Medutim, unatoc 
prilicno turobnim aktualnim izgledima, barem je jedna stvar postala jasna: 
kad kriza posteno udari, pojedine kompleksnosti i temporalnosti 
neujednacenog kapitalistickog razvoja sve redom ukazuju na jedinstvenost 
karaktera kapitala, koji tim postaje vidljiviji i opipljiviji. Ne samo da su neki 
liberalni teoreticari smjelo ustvrdili kako vise ne postoje klase, nego su se neki 
od njih oprostili i od proletarijata. 1 Doduse, to bi se moglo smatrati 
djelomicnim rezultatom ideoloske klasne borbe, kad se cini da klasna borba i 
dalje traje bez klasa i da je stoga postala gotovo nevidljivom. 2 No sve se to 
sad mijenja: borbe, revolti pa cak i Ijevicarske socijalisticke partije vratili su se 
na dnevni red. 


KRITIKE I OSVRTI 

Od estetizacije krize do politicke estetike krize 

Gal Kirn 


Frakcija #68/69 

Umjetnost i novae 



03 Ulomak je preuzet iz Economic 
Manuscripts (sv. 20, str. 148). 
Marx and Engels Collected Works 
(MECW) (New York: 
International Publishers, 1975- 
2005). 


Marx nas je vec odavno upozorio da se 

radnicka klasa ne bi trebala zavaravati u pogledu krajnjeg ishoda... borbi. 
Ona ne bi trebala zaboraviti da se bori protiv posljedica, ali ne i protiv 
uzroka tih posljedica. 3 


04 Radi se o tekstu "Seeing 
socialism", dijelu suradnickog 
projekta Cartographies of the 
Absolute Alberta Toscana i Jeffa 
Kinklea (u pripremi). 

05 Kratak prikaz predavanja koje je 
Ejzenstejn odrzao u Parizu, a 
gdje je najavio film Kapital, moze 
se naci u izvjescu Samuela 
Brodyja, http://www.ejumpcut. 
org/archive/onlinessays/ 
JCi4folder/Paris%2oHears%2oE. 
html [pristupljeno 7. rujna 2014.] 


Taj moment, naime bavljenje "posljedicama", kljucan je imamo li na umu, kako 
napominje Alberto Toscano, 4 moduse "reprezentaeije" krize ili ono sto bi se 
moglo nazvati "estetikom ekonomije" Bilo je to jedno od gorucih pitanja 
kojima su se vec krajem 20-ih godina proslog stoljeca bavili komunisticki 
mislioci (Lukacs, Benjamin), umjetnici (Brecht, Ejzenstejn) i aktivisti, naime 
kada je Velika depresija pogodila razne stvarnosti, pa i samu srz europskih 
kapitalistickih zemalja. Osim toga, reprezentaeija krize, ako je politicki 
angazirana, uvijek poziva na iducu reprezentaeiju: onu klasne borbe, kojaje 
postala glavna mrtva tocka politickog filma 20. stoljeca. Kako formalno 
stvoriti i izokrenuti vizuru umjesto pukog portretiranja sadrzaja sukoba? Kako 
izbjeci puko navodenje politickih iskaza na filmu i umjesto toga razviti 
odgovarajucu metodu - bilo je to pitanje koje je vec Ejzenstejn postavio 
konceptualizirajuci Marxov Kapital u svome buducem i nerealiziranom 
filmskom projektu. 5 

Jedan od prvih filmova koji se moze smatrati pretecom estetske 
reprezentaeije krize i borbe, a kojije Margareta Kern primjereno uzela kao 
polaziste za svoj umjetnicki rad, nastao je 1932. godine, Kuhle Wampe oder: 
Wem gehort die Welt? (Kuhle Wampe ili: Kome pripada svijet?, autora Brechta i 
Dudowa). U filmu se nastoji dati sustavniji politicko-estetski odgovor na 
situaeiju u Njemackoj tako sto se jedna berlinska radnicka obitelj prikazuje u 
sirem politicko-ekonomskom kontekstu. Radi se o izuzetno vaznom filmu 
utoliko sto se nije samo dotaknuo najaktualnijih problema radnicke klase 
(nezaposlenost, delozacije), nego je pokazao i koji bi mogao biti nacin, 
odnosno prostor za politicki angaziranu umjetnicku interveneiju (skupina Dos 
Rote Sprachrohr [Crveni megafon], koju takoder vidimo u radu Margarete Kern, 
bilaje stvarna povijesna skupina kojaje nastupala u razlicitim prigodama), 
kao i za mogucu politicku organizaeiju omladine i radnistva. Zanimljivo je da 
je u to vrijeme, pocetkom 30-ih godina, borba protiv nacisticke stranke bila u 
punom jeku, kako na ulicama, tako i u sluzbenoj politici. U nastojanju da 
materijaliziraju kasniji Benjaminov poziv na "politizaeiju estetike" Brecht i 
Dudow bili su prilicno izolirani, osobito uzme li se u obzir da su vodstvo i 
mnogi utjecajni intelektualci Komunisticke partije bili prilicno konzervativni 
(pripadnici tzv. "visoke kulture") te su se protivili koristenju filma u politicke 
svrhe. Takoder, ne treba zaboraviti izrazito slabo partijsko financiranje 
domace filmske produkeije, buduci da su uglavnom uvozili strane filmove. 
Trebalo bi spomenuti i to da je Prometheus Verlag, Ijevicarska produkeijska 
kuca, nastala prilicno kasno (1926.) i djelovala samo do 1931. godine, i da je 
Kuhle Wampe bio njezin posljednji film. 

No ako su 30-te godine proslog stoljeca imale Benjamina, Lukacsa i 
Brechta u teoriji i umjetnosti, a Sovjetski Savez imao medunarodni radnicki 
pokret i snazne sindikate u politici, moramo se zapitati sto mi to danas 
imamo. Kome pripada svijet? Je li on vlasnistvo onih i%? Nije li to odvise 
simplicisticki i moralisticki nacin kategorizaeije? Politicki gledano, Occupy kao 
vrhunac globalnog pokreta ocit je ocit primjer "individualizaeije" otpora. 
Nikome nije dopusteno govoriti u ime onih 99%, nego samo u vlastito ime, 
sto je, zajedno s potpunom odsutnoscu formulacije vecih politickih zahtjeva i 
moralistickom osudom zlih bankara, bilo osnovno ogranicenje pokreta 
Occupy. Crveni megafoni atomizirali su se u pojedinacne glasove golemog 



106 

o6 http://sakerna.se/jeff/files/ 
KinkleToscano-FilmingCrisis- 
FQ20n.pdf [pristupljeno 7. rujna 
2014.]. 


kritike 1 osvrti Frakcija #68/69 

Od estetizacije krize do politicke estetike krize Umjetnost i novae 

Gal Kirn 


broja ljudi koji predstavljaju iskljucivo sebe same. Na kulturnom planu 
svjedocili smo brojnim primjerima takozvane drustveno angazirane 
umjetnosti: osobito u kinematografiji mogli smo primijetiti "novi holivudski 
val" koji se kriticki odnosi prema aktualnoj kriznoj situaeiji. U clanku Filming 
the Crisis: A Survey Kinkle i Toscano prikazali su niz filmova koji 
dokumentiraju, registriraju i fikcionaliziraju krizu, 6 pokazujuci kako je vecina 
tih filmova podbacila u tome sto su se okrenuli iskljucivo "posljedicama" krize. 
Tako imamo citav niz angaziranih dokumentaraca (sjecamo li se filma 
Capitalism: A Love Story Michaela Moorea) i psiholoskih drama, kojima je 
svrha raskrinkati negativee financijskog kapitala ( Wall Street ) ili poduzetnistva 
(Up in the Air). U novije vrijeme, s pojavom "novog Hollywooda", trebali bismo 
se zapitati kako se ti filmovi hvataju u kostac s krizom: smatraju li je 
pozadinskom ili glavnom pricom, i zavrsavaju li tako da je pomiruju sa 
snaznijim zivotom unutar obitelji ili naeije, ili s nekim drugim snaznijim 
vrijednostima koje zivot cine smislenijim kad se covjek suoci s finaneijskim 
ekscesima. Kome pripada svijet ili: tko okupira svijet? 


Kako preusmjeriti estetski senzibilitet? 

Radovi Margarete Kern se na neposredan ili posredan nacin bave pitanjem 
reprezentaeije krize. Njezin prvi rad The State of/and the Body (2013.) vise se 
bavi krizom estetske reprezentaeije (koja je takoder povezana s 
reprezentaeijom polieije/drzave), dok se u radu The Body Economic (2013.) 
otkrivaju moguci nacini estetizacije ekonomije. 

The state of/and the Body estetski je profinjeniji, buduci da tu umjetnica 
koristi veoma raznolike medije i metode kako bi razotkrila krizu u estetskoj 
reprezentaeiji: kako mi, kao angazirani umjetnici i kulturni radnici, jos uvijek 
interveniramo ili u slike kojima dominiraju mainstream mediji, slike koje je 
snimila polieija, ili pak s druge strane u politicke dokumentarce, drustvenu 
kritiku koja izravno prikazuje zrtvu i proteste? Smatram da djelo Margarete 
Kern lucidno ukazuje na nekoliko kljucnih momenata, kao sto je nacin na koji 
se slika animira, pokrece, ali i zaustavlja. Sluzeci se minimalistickim 
sredstvima umjetnica proizvodi veoma snazne efekte: kao prvo, koristi acetat 
na koji upisuje malenu oznaku, erta kamen ili dodaje slojeve fotografije, a 
zatim - rukom - odstranjuje acetat kako bismo vidjeli bacanje kamena, 
polieiju kako odvlaci neku zenu ili uslojavanje odredenih smjesa/boja oko 
glava i lica ljudi... Tako slika nije nesto sto naprosto slijedi druga slika u 
jednostavnom slijedu, kao sto nije niti montaza vise slika. Ono s cime se 
susrecemo u djelu Margarete Kern prije se moze smatrati skupom animiranih 
i pokretnih slika koje se materijalno proizvode pokretanjem nekog drugog 
medija (folije, acetata) u prostoru (studiju umjetnice), susretom acetata s 
fotografijama, postojecim video snimkama itd. Ceste se ponavljaju vise puta 
kako bi gledatelji postali svjesni procesa "proizvodnje slika". Takoder mozemo 
se zaustaviti u ocitijoj, antropoloskoj dimenziji, pitajuci se na koji se sve nacin 
tijelo moze vuci - kako to cini polieija, a kako kamera...? Ili kako i kamo se 
moze baciti kamen? Umjetnica izokrece vizualno polje, bacajuci kamen u sam 
proces proizvodnje, osobito u trenucima zaustavljanja ili prekida, kad vizualno 
polje preuzimaju zvukovi/audio. Najveca vrijednost ovog rada upravo je u 
meduigri svih tih razlicitih medija: fotografije, animaeije/erteza, acetata, 
videa i zvuka, koji nastoje izokrenuti vizualno polje nekih od najtipicnijih 
protestnih situaeija. No taj video nije politican zahvaljujuci svome 
"predmetu", nego zahvaljujuci formi. Stoga on postaje politican tek 



KRITIKE I OSVRTI 

Od estetizacije krize do politicke estetike krize 

Gal Kirn 


Frakcija #68/69 

Umjetnost i novae 



07 David Stuckler i Sanjay Basu, The 
Body Economic (London: Basic 
Books, 2013). 


zahvaljujuci estetskom tretmanu, skretanju unutar vizualnog polja. Mozemo 
li tu gestu shvatiti u kontekstu primjene strategije sirenja "Malenih sestara" 
protiv "Velikog brata" ili se tu prije radi o sveprisutnosti vizualnog nadzora, 
sto zavrsava pukom dokumentaeijom gesta i (zlo)uporaba Vlasti? 

The Body Economic je politicki video koji s jedne strane razlaze i oslikava 
financijske i ekonomske indekse iz istoimene knjige, 7 dok se s druge strane ti 
vizualni elementi suprotstavljaju naelektriziranom i politickom govoru 
mladog borca za radnicka prava (Mario Savio), koji povlaci paralele izmedu 
sveucilisnog sustava i strojeva, ali naznacuje i mogucu solidarnost izmedu 
radnika putem neposredne interveneije u proizvodnju... kako bi se ta 
proizvodnja zaustavila. Vidimo kako se ekonomski trendovi transformiraju u 
ljudske oblike. Nije li to veoma ostra reprezentaeija Marxova koncepta 
"fetisizma robe", nacina na koji brojke i indeksi, odnosno finaneijski kapital 
otuden u brojke, naposljetku imaju ekstremne materijalne posljedice po 
narodne mase? Dok za financijskog spekulanta strmoglav pad financijskog 
indeksa znaci naprosto gubitak nekih dionica (dok za drugoga cak moze biti i 
profitabilan), za radnike ce rezultirati masovnim gubitkom radnih mjesta. U 
politickom pogledu, pad financijskog indeksa mogao bi izazvati i prosvjede na 
ulicama, pa i samoubojstva. Na samom kraju videa ponesto smo zbunjeni kad 
vidimo visoku zgradu i osobu koja se s nje sprema skociti. Ocito, kao sto se i 
tvrdi u knjizi The Body Economic, postoji jasna korelacija s povecanom stopom 
samoubojstava u razdobljima krize i ekstremnih mjera stednje. Medutim, je li 
reakeija pojedinca na krizu jedino sto valja naglasiti ili bi naglasak prije trebalo 
staviti na dramatski aspekt situaeije? Spektakularne slike samospaljivanja ili 
skokova s nebodera tako se prikladno uklapaju u medijsku produkeiju 
mainstreama da je tesko zamisliti neki alternativni vizualni rezim koji bi ih 
pretvorio u kritiku krize. 

Ovaj video ne zavrsava skokom neke osobe s ruba krova, nego povlaci tu 
osobu u nebo, sto nije bez odredenih mesijanskih konotaeija. No moramo se 
zapitati na koji nacin govor studenta, borca za radnicka prava, o zaustavljanju 
proizvodnje i bespomocnost jos neostvarenog samoubojstva pojedinca ne 
pokazuju do koje je mjere otpor protiv kapitalizma danas individualiziran? 
Ocito je daje samoubojstvo jedan od odgovora na aktualnu krizu i politiku 
ekstremnih mjera stednje, i to ne bi trebalo uciniti manje vidljivim, nego 
prihvatiti kao ono sto to ustvari jest: individualno "ne". Ono sto smatram 
osobito vaznim u radu Margarete Kern jest to da zavrsna sekvenca pretvara 
skok u cujnu senzibilnost umjesto vriska i pada u dubinu: mozemo cuti 
ubrzano lupanje srea koje animira gledatelja, koji bi se mogao naprosto 
probuditi i skociti negdje drugdje. Je li rad koji je brizno sastavljen od razlicite 
grade iz prvoga rada ili pulsirajuce pumpanje koje direktno priziva politicku 
situaeiju ucinkovito u oertavanju i doprinosu sirem politickom senzibilitetu 
otpora, ostaje otvoreno pitanje za buduce radove Margarete Kern, kao i za 
druge politicke i umjetnicke radove da istraze i ponude vlastite odgovore. 



108 


(RE)VIEWS 


Frakcija #68/69 

Art & Money 


From aesthetization of crisis to political aesthetics of crisis 

Gal Kirn 

From 
aesthetization of 
crisis to political 
aesthetics of crisis 

(Margarets Kern: The State of/and the Body 
and The Body Economic ) 


Cal Kim 


oi Andre Corz, Farewell to the 
Working Class: An Essay on Post- 
Industrial Socialism (London: 
Pluto Press, 1982). 

02 Etienne Balibar showed in what 
way the class struggle today is 
displaced via culturalisation, 
identity politics, and the tenet 
that we have society without 
classes . "From class struggle to 
struggles without classes" In: 
Graduate Faculty Philosophy 
Journal, 14.1 (1991), pp. 7-21. 


Introduction: crisis of representation, representation of crisis 

nstead of Zizekian "end times", one should rather diagnose our 
times as the times of permanent crisis, which seems not to have an 
end. For all those engaged with social change it seems that more 
one struggles against the austerity measures and more one thinks 
about the exit from the crisis, more the crisis deepens and dissolves 
what has remained of the welfare state, either in its socialist or 
capitalist variation. More class consciousness, more austerity we 
get, which obviously means that the ruling class does not sleep, but 
actively participates in the neoliberal (de)regulatory mode of crisis-exit. 
However, despite pretty grim current outlooks, at least one thing has become 
clear: when the crisis hits hard, different complexities and temporalities of 
the uneven capitalist development all pinpoint to a unified character of 
capital, which becomes much more visible and palpable. Not only have some 
liberal theorists boldly claimed that there are no more classes, some of them 
even gave their farewell to proletariat. 1 However, this can be seen as a partial 
result of the ideological class struggle, when class struggle seems to persist 
without classes and has thus became almost invisible. 2 But now all this has 
been changing, and the struggles, revolts, even Left Socialist Parties are back 
on the agenda. 



(RE)VIEWS 

From aesthetization of crisis to political aesthetics of crisis 

Gal Kirn 


Frakcija #68/69 

Art & Money 



03 Passage is from (vol. 20, p. 148). 
Marx and Engels Collected Works 
(MECW) (New York: 
International Publishers, 1975- 
2005). 


Marx has already warned us long ago that 

the working class ought not to exaggerate to themselves the ultimate 
working of... struggles. They ought not to forget that they are fighting 
with effects, but not with the causes of those effects. 3 


04 I am indebted to the text 
"Seeing socialism", which is a 
part of the collaborative project 
of Alberto Toscano and Jeff 
Kinkle Cartographies of the 
Absolute (forthcoming). 

05 For a short review of the lecture 
that Eisenstein held in paris, 
where he announced to film 
Capital see Samuel Brody's 
report: http://www.ejumpcut. 
org/archive/onlinessays/ 
JCi4folder/Paris%2oHears%2oE. 
html [accessed 7 September 
2014]. 


This point, the handling of "effects" is crucial when we think, as Alberto 
Toscano suggests, 4 how to "represent" the crisis, or what could be called the 
"aesthetics of economy". This was one of the burning questions that engaged 
communist thinkers (Lukacs, Benjamin), artists (Brecht, Eisenstein) and 
activists already in the late 1920s, when the Great Depression hit many 
different realities, and especially the core of European capitalist countries. 
Also, representing crisis, if politically engaged, always invites the next 
representation: one of class struggle, which has become a central deadlock 
of the political cinema in the 20 th century. How to invent and subvert the 
visual field formally, and not only portray the conflicts in their content? How 
to not only apply political enunciations in the film, but develop a proper 
method? - this was the question that Eisenstein already posed when 
conceptualizing Marx's Capital in future and not realized film project. 5 

One of the first films, which could be seen as predecessor of aesthetical 
representation of the crisis and struggle, which Margareta Kern pertinently 
took as her departure point in her artwork, was done in 1932: Kuhle Wampe, or 
who owns the world? (Brecht and Dudow). The film attempted to give a more 
systematical politico-aesthetical answer to the situation in Germany 
showing one Berlin working-class family within the larger politico-economic 
circumstances. The film was extremely important in so far as it touched not 
only the most burning questions of the working class (unemployment, 
evictions), but also demonstrated what could be one possible way and space 
for the politically engaged and artist intervention (the group Red Megaphone 
that we also see in Kern's work was the real historical group performing on 
different occasions) and possible political organization of youth and workers. 
It is noteworthy that in the time of the early 1930s, the struggle against the 
Nazi party on the streets and in official politics was in full swing. In the 
endeavor to materialize the later call of Benjamin to "politicize the 
aesthetics", Brecht and Dudow were quite isolated, once one takes into the 
account that the leadership and many influential intellectuals from 
Communist Party were rather conservative ("high culture") and opposing the 
use of cinema in political terms. Also, one should have in mind extremely low 
Party funding of the domestic film production, as they mostly imported 
foreign films. One should mention that the Prometheus Verlag (leftist 
production house came into existence very late (1926) and functioned only 
till 1931 with Kuhle Wampe being its last production. 

But if 1930s had Benjamin, Lukacs, Brecht in theory and art, and Soviet 
Union had international workers movement and strong trade unions in 
politics, then we should ask what we have today. Who owns the world? To 
i%? Isn't this too simplistic and moralistic form of categorization? Politically, 
there are Occupy movements as the highest peak of global movement, which 
is a clear example of "individualization" of resistance. Nobody is allowed to 
speak in the name of 99%, only in one's proper name, which was, together 
with the complete absence of formulating bigger political demands and 
moralization of bad bankers, the major limitation of the Occupy. Red 
megaphones become atomized into individual voices of many that represent 
themselves only. On a more cultural plane, we witnessed much of the so- 
called socially engaged art, especially in cinema we could observe New 




(re)views Frakcija #68/69 

From aesthetization of crisis to political aesthetics of crisis Art & Money 

Cal Kirn 


06 http://sakerna.se/jeff/files/ 
KinkleToscano-FilmingCrisis- 
FQ20n.pdf. [accessed 7 
September 2014]. 


Hollywood wave that critically tackled with the present situation of crisis. In 
their Film Survey of Crisis, Kinkle and Toscano mapped out a series of films 
that have been documenting, registering, fictionalizing the crisis. 6 They show 
that most of these films have failed in so far as they merely work on the 
"effects" of crisis. So, we have a number of social journalism films (remember 
Michael Moore's Capitalism: A Love Story?), and psychological dramas, which 
tempt to personify the villains of financial capital ( Wall Street) or 
entrepreneurialism (Up in the Air). In the recent years, with the appearance of 
New Hollywood, one should ask how these films deal with the crisis, as a 
background or foreground of the story, and if they end up reconciling crisis 
with a stronger life in family, nation, or other stronger values that make life 
more meaningful in the wake of financial excesses. To whom the world 
belongs, or who occupies the world? 


How to re-orient the aesthetical sensibility? 

Margareta Kern's work deals in a direct or indirect way with the question of 
representing the crisis. Her first work The State of/and the Body (2013) deals 
more with the crisis of aesthetical representation (connected also to crisis of 
police/state representation), while her work The Body Economic (2013) 
exposes possible ways to aesthetize the economy. 

The state of/and the Body is aesthetically more refined, because Kern 
uses very different media and methods to expose the crisis in aesthetical 
representation: how do we as engaged artists and cultural workers still 
intervene in the images dominated either by mainstream media, images 
filmed by police, or on the other side, in political documentaries, social 
critique that directly shows the victim and protests? I believe that Kern's 
work lucidly points to several moments: how the image is animated, moved, 
and also suspended. She uses minimalistic means to produce very strong 
effects: firstly, she uses acetate on which she inscribes a small mark, draws a 
stone, or adds the layers to a photo and then - with her hand - moves the 
acetate away, so we see the throwing of the stone, or dragging of the 
woman by police, or layering of certain mash/colours around people's heads, 
faces.... Thus, the image is not simply followed by another image in a simple 
sequence of images, as it is also not a montage of images. What we 
encounter in Kern's work is rather a set of animated and moving images that 
are materially produced by moving of another medium (foil, acetate) within 
the space (in her studio), encountering of acetate with photographs, existing 
videos etc. The gestures are repeated many times, so the viewers become 
aware of the "image-production" process. One can also dwell in the more 
evident anthropological dimension, asking how can the body be dragged, by 
police, by camera...? Or how and where the stone can be thrown? Kern 
subverts the visual field, throwing the stone into the production process 
itself, especially in the moments of suspension, or interruption, when the 
visual field is taken over by audio/sounds. The greatest value of this work is 
thus the interplay between all the different media: photography, animation/ 
drawing, acetate, video and sound, which attempts to subvert the visual field 
of some most typical protests situations. But the video is not political due to 
its "matter", but due to its form. Thus it becomes political only through its 
aesthetical treatment, through a detour within the visual field. Could this 
gesture be understood in terms of implementing a strategy to spread Little 
Sisters against the Big Brother, or has it more to do with the omnipresence of 



(RE)VIEWS 

From aesthetization of crisis to political aesthetics of crisis 

Gal Kirn 


Frakcija #68/69 

Art & Money 


07 David Stuckler i Sanjay Basu, The 
Body Economic (London: Basic 
Books, 2013). 


this visual control and ends up merely in documenting the gestures and (mis) 
handlings of Authority? 

The Body Economic is a political video, which on the one hand displays 
and portrays the financial and economic indexes from the same entitled 
book, 7 while this visuals are juxtaposed to an electrified and political speech 
of a young workerist (Mario Savio) who draws parallels between university 
system and machines, but also implies possible solidarity between workers 
with the direct intervention into production... to make the production stop. 
We see the economic trends transform into the shapes of people. Isn't this a 
very poignant representation of Marx's concept of "commodity fetishism", of 
how the numbers and indexes, financial capital alienated into numbers, 
finally have extremely material effects for masses of people? If the downward 
swerve of financial index to financial speculator means simply to lose some 
stocks (while for another, it might be even profitable), it will result in the 
mass of unemployed workers. Politically, the drop in financial indexes might 
even trigger revolts on the streets and also suicides. At the very end of the 
video one gets slightly confused when seeing the high-rise building and the 
person, who is about to jump from it. Obviously, as the book The Body 
Economic also argues, there is a clear correlation between the rise of suicides 
in times of crisis and austerity. However, is the individual response to the 
crisis the only one that should be emphasized, or should one rather 
emphasize the drama of the situation? The spectacular images of the 
burning self-immolations or jumping from the skyscrapers fit so adequately 
to the mainstream media production that it remains hard to envisage 
alternative visual regime that makes them critical of crisis. 

The video does not end with the jump of a person on the brink of the 
roof, but it rather pulls the person into the sky, which is not without some 
messianic connotations. However, one must ask in what way does the 
workerist student speech on the stopping of production and the helplessness 
of not-yet-realized individual suicide not show, how much more 
individualized the resistance towards capitalism has become today? 
Obviously, suicide is one of the responses to the current crisis and austerity 
politics, and one should not make it less visible, but one should take it as it is: 
individual refusal. What I find important in Kern's work is that the final 
sequence makes a jump into audible sensibility, instead of scream and fall 
downwards: we can hear an accelerated pumping of the heart that animates 
the viewer, who might just wake up and jump somewhere else. Is the 
meticulous work with the various mattial of the first artwork or the pulsating 
pumping that directly evokes the political situation, more effective in 
drawing and contribution to larger political sensibility of resistance, remains 
for future Kern's, and other political and artistic work to explore and answer. 






















Frakcija #68/69 

Umjetnost i novae 


KRITIKE I OSVRTI 

Izmedu nemoguceg i nemoguceg 

Dragana Alfirevic 

Izmedu 
nemoguceg i 
nemoguceg 

(.Halfbread Technique: Post-Capitalism 
for Beginners i Not My Piece Martina 
Schicka) 


Dragana Alfirevic 


d pocetka poslednje finansijske krize umetnici 
sirom sveta insistiraju da svi shvatimo kako nesto 
nije u redu sa njihovim uslovima rada, sa radom 
uopste, i sa odnosima koje rad, finansijska 
nadoknada i politicka moc uspostavljaju medu 
ljudima. Bogacenje manjine na racun vecine, 
produbljivanje nejednakosti unutar sve jasnije 
klasno podeljenog drustva, fasizam baziran na 
finansijskoj "nepodobnosti" 1 odredenih drustvenih slojeva i druge vrste 
nepravde bazirane na ekonomskoj nejednakosti, tema su razmisljanja i rada 
svajearskog umetnika Martina Schicka. Pritom on ispituje solidarnost i njen 
poteneijal u resavanju trenutne situaeije, a sve kroz prizmu sopstvenog rada, 
odnosno rada na relaciji producent-koreograf-plesac-publika. 

Njegovu predstavu Halfbread Technique: Post-Capitalism for Beginners 
gledala sam i8. oktobra 2013., na Kondenz festivalu u Beogradu, a predstavu 
Not My Piece osam meseci ranije, 2. februara 2013. na svajearskoj nacionalnoj 
plesnoj platformi u Baselu. Prva je svojevrsni derivat potonje. lako funkeionisu 
kao celina, ili bolje kao dva pokusaja da se publika uznemiri i zabavi pitanjima 
odnosa u neoliberalizmu i nasem ucescu u njemu, potonja je u tome 
unekoliko uspesnija od prve. Od koncepta predstave, njenog potencijalnog 
dometa, ali i od samog izvodenja i saradnje publike zavisi da li sve ostaje na 
nivou zabave i lagodnog osecaja podsmeha kapitalizmu, ili bivamo primorani 
da se zamislimo kako uticemo jedni na druge, sta mi to zapravo radimo i 
zasto se cesto, dok stvaramo ili gledamo predstave, bavimo iskljucivo 
posledicama problema. 

Bukvalno prevedeno, tehnika "pola hleba" spomenuta u naslovu prve 
predstave, bavi se idejom da pola onoga sto posedujemo podelimo sa nekim 
drugim kome je to potrebno. Ova 40-minutna predstava oblikuje granice 
scene kao prostora razmene i zajednickog ucenja izvodaca i publike, ili 
preciznije, oblikuje razmenu na razinama materijalnog i nematerijalnog koju ti 
odnosi stvaraju. U predstavi Not My Piece Schick je, pak, istrazivao granice 
sistema scenske umetnosti danas, potrebe i (ne)mogucnosti izlaska 
izvedbenih umetnosti iz kapitalistickog sistema. Tokom i nakon gledanja te 



oi http://www.dw.de/reiche- 
werden-schneller-eu- 
b%C3%BCrger/a-i7227o8o 
[pristupljeno 15. srpnja 2014.] 
Ovaj clanak u Deutsche Welle 
govori o novom poslovnom 
potezu Malte. Malta prodaje 
drzavljanstvo strancima izvan 
EU za 650 000 EUR, stoje za 
mnoge eticki sporno, obzirom 
da u drugim EU drzavama 
naturalizaeija dolazi nakon 
mnogih prepreka i dugackog 
procesa. 


Frakcija #68/69 

Umjetnost i novae 


predstave bila sam frustrirana zbog istovremenog shvatanja dve potpuno 
razlicite ideje: poletne vere u moguenost transformaeije trenutnog sistema 
koju na trenutak predstava daje, nade da je izlaz ipak moguc i konstantnog 
povratka na tacku sopstvene vezanosti za sistem, odnosno zavezanosti ruku u 
tom sistemu. U materijalima koje smo dobili za Halfbread Technique pisalo je 
daje ta predstava "uvod u post-kapitalizam za pocetnike", sto implicitno znaci 
daje post-kapitalizam vec nekakvo napustanje kapitalizma, i da predstava 
nudi alternative i odgovore na pitanje "sta posle?". Medutim, ono sto mi, kao 
delu publike, ali i sireg sistema, predstava govori jest daje post-kapitalizam 
samo metastaza kapitalizma i da ne znamo sta je dalje moguce. U nemoguc- 
nosti smo da predvidimo buduenost, onemoguceno nam je da sanjamo, a ta 
nas ta nemoguenost paralizuje i obeshrabruje cak i da bilo sta pokusamo. 

Posmatrajuci razlike izmedu ove dve predstave pokusacu da posmatram 
razlicite moguenosti reakeije, interakeije sa publikom, i na kraju, razlicit 
stepen uspesnosti da se scenska umetnost udalji od zabavljackih, lagodno 
provedenih sat vremena u teatru. 

Not my Piece je gledaocu predstavljen kao provokaeija cinicnog uverenja 
daje sve tako kako jeste i da izlaza nema. To je metaforicki upitnik o 
neminovnosti naseg trenutnog finansijskog sistema, o nasim ulogama u 
njegovom odrzavanju, o zatvorenom krugu kultura-kapital-trziste, i 
dovodenju samih gledalaca do tacke prepoznavanja tog kruga i sopstvene 
pasivnosti unutar njega. Schick izvodi dva kraca eksperimenta, jedan na 
pocetku obe predstave, a drugi na pocetku druge. 

Na pocetku obe predstave Schick podize celu publiku na noge. Nakon 
sto kaze "molim one koji su kupili kartu po punoj ceni da ustanu", zatim 
"molim one koji su kupili kartu po ceni sa popustom da sednu" i na kraju 
"molim one koji su ovde poslom da sednu", postaje jasno daje zapravo samo 
zanemariv broj gledalaca u punom gledalistu kupilo kartu te veceri, a da 
velika vecina ljudi nije uopste platila kartu, i da nije jasno zasto, jer nisu 
zaposleni na festivalu, niti su novinari. Tako direktno saznajemo kako 
funkeionise razmena materijalnog i nematerijalnog u teatru. 

Drugi eksperiment, izveden u predstavi Halfbread Technique, povezan je 
s piramidalnim sistemom kreditiranja (Ponzijeva shema), koji nam autor 
plasticno docarava tako sto pozajmi od jednog gledaoca no dinara i obeca da 
ce mu vratiti 20 za 5 sekundi, pozajmi od drugog 20 i obeca da ce mu vratiti 
50 za 5 sekundi, pozajmi od treceg 50, i tako dalje... Vrlo nam brzo postaje 
jasno u kakvom sistemu kredita i beskonacnog obrasca pohlepe i sami zivimo, 
a ne smemo zanemariti ni Schickov trud da nam omoguci da ga iskusimo na 
svojoj kozi, makar i unutar fikcije teatra, i na kratko. 

Obe ove scene sluze kao uvod u njegovu ideju "tehnike pola hleba", i 
upucuju nas da promisljamo kako novae kreira nase odnose. Ono sto 
saznajemo tokom predstave je daje autor, u cilju prakticnog isprobavanja 
alternativa trenutnom stanju kapitalizma u okvirima svog radnog prostora, 
kako bi podelio svoj prostor i honorar za ovaj rad sa onim kome je to 
potrebno, najavio audieiju u Grckoj, na kojoj je pronasao plesaca Kiriakosa 
Hadjiioannoua. Prema sopstvenim recima, dobro situirani Svajcarac pomaze 
jednom ubogom Crku, deleci to sto ima sa njim na pola. Naravno, pozeleli 
smo da mu aplaudiramo, ali nas je preduhitrio objasnjavajuci da Svajcarska 
jeste tako bogata jer svi svetski diktatori tamo pohranjuju novae. Odmotava 
se niz asoeijaeija - svetska kriza, uzroci i posledice krize na razlicite vrste rada 
i radnika, pitanja prijateljstva, bliskosti i solidarnosti, gradenja pozitivnog 
imidza preko leda manje sretnih od nas i na taj nacin nase ucesce u 
potvrdivanju dominantnih odnosa, senzibilizaeija prema zajednickom dobru... 


KRITIKE I OSVRTI 

Izmedu nemoguceg i nemoguceg 

Dragana Alfirevic 




Frakcija #68/69 

Umjetnost i novae 


Not My Piece na scenu postavlja dve suprotnosti: citava leva polovina 
scene je prazna, erna, osvetljena samo jednim topom, a na njoj savremeni 
plesac Kiriakos Hadjioannou, obucen u erno, uz zvuke minimal elektro muzike 
"samo radi svoj posao": okrenut ledima, celih prvih 30 minuta izvodi 
hermeticni solo pies. Odabrana muzika i svedena ogoljena estetika deluju kao 
sprdnja na savremenoplesni izraz nggo-ih i 2000-ih. Hadjioannou objasnjava 
da je "njegova koreografija zapravo odraz stanja patnje i teskobe mase 
unesrecenih ljudi u njegovoj zemlji", a mi shvatamo potpunu impotentnost i 
hladnu distanciranost apstraktnog izraza nasuprot konceptualnom pristupu 
"ovde i sada", koji se odigrava na drugoj polovini scene. 

Na drugoj polovini scene, u punom svetlu, sa video projektorom, 
kompjuterom, i mnostvom predmeta koje je dovukao sa svog poseda, autor 
objasnjava genezu i razloge rada na ovakvoj predstavi; njegova polovina 
scene predstavlja umanjenu verziju San Keller Learning Centra, poseda kojije 
kupio da bi ga pretvorio u samoodrzivi Centar za istrazivanje alternative 
kapitalizmu. Prepuna je razlicitih autenticnih predmeta sa tog poseda, kao 
sto su saksije sa zasadjenim bio zacinskim biljem, drveni toalet-kompost, 
plasticna creva za zalivanje, transparenti za demonstraeije, kante za 
skupljanje kisnice... Sve vreme se smejemo do suza, ili do tragicnog grea 
osmeha bespomocnosti, potajno uzivajuci u tome da neko suptilno ogoljava 
nas odnos prema ekologiji, kao drugo lice samo jos jedne mode koja se dobro 
prodaje. 

Dok posmatramo dve paralelne scene, apstraktni nemusti pies i 
konceptualnu koreografiju, na bukvalan nacin smo suoceni sa ogranicenjima 
koja savremeni pies nosi, dok god se posmatra iskljucivo kao sled manje ili 
vise skladnih pokreta. Paradoksalno, ova smesna scena otvara za nas niz 
mogucih "izrazaja" koje pod nazivom "savremeni pies" mozemo danas videti 
ili zamisliti. Pomisljam da moc subverzije savremenog plesnog posla lezi 
upravo u njegovoj hermeticnosti sa jedne strane, dok se sa druge koreografija 
otvara prema drugim poljima - na primer, organizaeiji odnosa uopste, no ali i 
izvan scene. 

Obe predstave ispituju razlicite odnose: odnos rada i finansijskog 
nagradivanja, materijalnog ulaganja kulturnih radnika u osvescivanje stanja u 
drzavama i politicko-ekonomskom sistemima, direktne refleksije tih sistema 
na ljudske zivote i nacine na koji (su prinudeni da?) rade, (ne)mogucnost 
reakeije, moguenost nadanja i realne alternative. 

U kracem intervjuu sa Martinom Schickom, kao pripremi za pisanje ovog 
teksta, na moje insistiranje odakle mu uopste ideja da se u okviru 
ogranicenog, kodifikovanog scenskog prostora bavi ovim pitanjima, Schick 
odgovara da je na poziv jednog festivala krenuo u izradu predstave, a za 
potrebe rada na predstavi kupio parcelu u blizini Friburga, u zelji da uspostavi 
drugaeiji nacin bivanja sa kolegama. Njegove su potrebe bile potpuno razlicite 
od onih koje je imao festival, jer je festival ocekivao premijeru. Tokom rada, 
sve vise mu je bivalo jasno da eventualni izlazak iz sistema postaje fikeija, i 
zbog toga se odlucio da to izvede, kako kaze, kao plan za buduenost, kao 
otvaranje prostora za imaginiranje moguenosti alternative. Za njega je 
prostor scene zapravo prostor eksperimenta, prostor u kome je moguce, u 
kolektivnom cinu promisljanja politickih pozieija, ostaviti tragove. Ovaj proces 
nije uspeo da mu odgovori na sva pitanja kojaje zeleo da postavi, ali iako je 
nemoguce izaci iz kapitalisticke matrice, on ipak veruje da je moguce 
postaviti nova pitanja i ostvariti nove vrste odnosa. Mozda je stvarno 
promisljanje alternative moguce jedino onda kada shvatimo daje alternativa 
nemoguca. 


116 


KRITIKE I OSVRTI 

Izmedu nemoguceg i nemoguceg 

Dragana Alfirevic 


Frakcija #68/69 

Umjetnost i novae 


Gledajuci Halfbread Technique, a jos vise dok smo se dopisivali, nisam 
mogla izbeci sledece pitanje: dok "velikodusno" deli svoj prostor, sta zapravo 
Martin Schick kupuje, nudeci pola scene i pola honorara publici? Cega on to 
zapravo nema dovoljno, kada odlucuje da nudi pola svog prostora, da deli 
pola svoje zarade sa drugim covekom na tako ocigledan nacin? U samoj 
organizaeiji izvedbe dolazi do nedostatka balansa, te je i on sam verovatno 
ostavljen na milost i nemilost ljudima koji su se prijavili da zele polovinu/ 
cetvrtinu/osminu prostora i pola/ cetvrtinu/osminu njegovog honorara. 
Naime, u beogradskoj je izvedbi bilojasno dajeste dovoljno pojaviti se i 
"statirati" do kraja predstave, da biste dobili tu polovinu/cetvrtinu/osminu 
njegovog honorara. Ocigledna bi ironija njegovog pristupa imala vise smisla 
ukoliko bi izvodaci-publika vise iskoristili svoj prostor i zaista zajedno sa njim 
ili umesto njega napravili predstavu. 

I u cemu se ovaj pristup potkovan razradenom teorijom o tehnici "pola 
hleba" razlikuje, a u cemu ne od uobicajene prakse pozivanja kolega na 
saradnju, gde se sa njima deli prostor, proces i finansije? 

Istovremeno otvaraju se pitanja delovanja takozvanih radnika u 
umetnosti i kulturi, o tome koja je danas nasa funkeija u drustvu, koliko smo 
sposobni da reflektujemo sopstvene pozieije i dinamike i da li je pravljenje 
predstava, uvek zakljucanih u svoj specifican kod, najbolji nacin djelovanja? 
Osecaj da je predstava duboko ukorenjena u realnosti smenjuje se sa 
osecajem nepregledne fikcije, tolike da se na trenutke osecamo naizmenicno 
prevareni (jer upravo pomislimo da se nesto zaista dogodilo kad shvatimo da 
mozda i nije) i uteseni (jer vidimo da to nije ni vazno, uteseni smo 
podsecanjem da smo u teatru), i ove dve se medusobno potenciraju i ubrzano 
smenjuju, do tacke kada pitanje da li prisustvujemo fikeiji ili realnosti prestaje 
da bude vazno. Iz ove igre smenjivanja realnosti i fikcije zakljucujem da, dok 
god je "tema" ta kojom se na sceni bavimo, zapravo se uvek bavimo 
posledicama problema a ne uzrocima, i time poteneijal za istinske promene 
bledi. Morali bismo se baviti produkeijskim odnosima i njihovom inverzijom: 
na nivou teme ne postoji moguenost subverzije, jer je tema usko vezana za 
reprezentaeiju, i samo potvrduje impotentnost kodificiranog scenskog 
prostora koji se opire bilo kakvim promenama. Moramo izaci iz domena 
"teme" (sto je uvek rad na posledicama a ne stvarnim uzrocima), i uci u 
domen nacina proizvodnje. Modeli saradnje, novi nacini produkeije, uslovi 
rada i strukture koje izmesaju i propituju odnose, pre svega odnose mod koji 
tretiraju nase uloge i nase realne rizike, trenutno su mnogo vazniji od toga da 
li je tema "vruca" i od estetskog odabira nacina njene obrade. 

Derivat predstave Not My Piece, predstava Halfbread Technique, na 
veoma ocigledan nacin sa publikom deli svoje materijalne resurse (prostor 
scene, novae i scensko vreme). Verovatno je nastala kao odgovor na tehnicke 
poteskoce prenosenja predstave sa celom opremom iz San Keller Learning 
Centra, ali moguce ju je posmatrati i kao potencijalni eksperiment ulazenja u 
nove vrste odnosa umetnik-publika, ili posmatrani-posmatrac. 

Nakon sto izvede par "savremeno plesnih pokreta" kako bi opravdao 
svoj boravak na savremeno plesnom festivalu, Martin Schick poziva publiku 
da izade na scenu i sa njim podeli polovinu prostora i polovinu zarade, i na taj 
nacin prostom geometrijskom deobom deli svoju zaradu od priblizno 1300 
eura. Ideja kojaje u pozadini tehnike pola hleba, objasnjena je i primerom 
deljenja bogatstva Warrena Buffeta i Billa Catesa. Time se, pretpostavljam, 
Schick sluzi da bi se obratio najsiroj mogucoj publici sa jedne strane, kao i da 
bi parodirao svoj pokusaj borbe protiv kapitalizma potvrdujuci kapitalisticke 
heroje, sa druge. Ovoga se puta nekoliko razlicitih clanova publike nalaze u 


KRITIKE I OSVRTI 

Izmedu nemoguceg i nemoguceg 

Dragana Alfirevic 




KRITIKE I OSVRTI 

Izmedu nemoguceg i nemoguceg 

Dragana Alfirevic 


Frakcija #68/69 

Umjetnost i novae 


ulozi Kiriakosa, i pocetni prostor za igru i cela suma koju je Martin dobio kao 
svoj autorski honorar deli se na polovinu, cetvrtinu, osminu, dok se na sceni 
postepeno ne pojavi jos 7 gledalaca, a svi imaju svoj prostor za pies, sve jedan 
duplo manji od drugog, i svoj svezanj novcanica, jedan uvek za polovinu manji 
od drugog, nevesto sklonjen negde u uglove scene. Ovaj konceptualno 
snazan rad, koji je na milost prepusten stepenu spremnosti publike na 
saradnju, i stepenu razumevanja osnovne situaeije, ukorenjenje u nasu 
zajednicku realnost sada-i-ovde. On funkeionise kroz zelju gledalaca i 
ekonomiju mreze zelja, ocekivanja i razocaranja. Ekonomija na relaciji 
finansijska ponuda-zelja je upravo toliko realna koliko i nemoguca, do te mere 
da postaje interesantnije posmatrati publiku sa mnostvom pitanja nego 
izvodace na sceni. 

Osecaj da je Martin Schick veoma dobar MC i da (za)vodi publiku sa 
lakocom, te da ni njemu ni publici nije neprijatno oko toga ko ce sledeci izaci, 
u kombinaeiji sa cinjenicom da je u pitanju stvarna publika ispred koje treba 
da se boravi, kao i daje u pitanju pravi novae, stvaraju nevericu. Sve je previse 
lako, suma je tek dovoljna da izbrise sumnje i odnese tremu. Nedostatak 
nelagode i osecaj daje sve moguce sa kojim publika pristaje na ovaj dogovor 
stvara jos vecu nelagodu kod nas koji ostajemo na svojim sedistima. Nema 
ocekivanog ekscesa, nema cak ni pitanja oko toga sta zapravo on zeli da ljudi 
rade sa prostorom i noveem koji dobijaju, svi odnosi mod su i dalje isti, ispario 
je bazicni altruizam: budenje i gajenje osecaja da je jos nekom nesto 
potrebno, a ne samo meni. Kada sam ga pitala nije li, u kontekstu predstave, 
pomalo prenaglasena ideja "let's have fun", rekao je da misli da je jasno daje 
to ironicno. I toje istina. Ono sto nije jasno je kako balansirati energije i htenja 
ljudi, tako da cela predstava ne pretegne na zabavljacku stranu i tamo ne 
ostane, jer tada znamo da ce vec prvi gutljaj piva nakon predstave isprati svu 
potrebu da se tim pitanjima zaista i pozabavimo? 

AN: ko tu kome sta daje zapravo? Svajcarska fondaeija finansira festival 
na Balkanu, festival se odlucuje da pozove Schicka, on dalje rasporeduje svoj 
zaradeni novae na nacin koji njemu odgovara, publika dolazi da gleda 
predstavu, ali biva postavljena u ulogu izvodaca, i ima moguenost da zaradi. 
Svako veruje daje nesto dobio, dok je zaista pitanje: sta zapravo ova predsta¬ 
va radi, koja je njena funkeija, osim da sve koji sudeluju uljuljka u tome da se 
dobro osecaju? Dok Martin Schick nudi nekom nesto, on ustvari dobiva bez 
prevelikog truda. Kako bi se njegov koncept do kraja realizovao i eksperiment 
izvrsio, on treba publiku spremnu na saradnju vise no sto ona treba njega. 
Martin vodi svoj eksperiment sa neverovatnom doslednoscu: uloge na sceni 
funkeionisu tako da nam jasno sugerisu na koji nacin smo u klopci, vec samim 
tim sto smo dosli i sto uopste ucestvujemo u toj igri. Kapitalizam kome ne 
mozemo uteci, stavlja masku dobrociniteljstva, dok nas zapravo neprimetno 
koristi. Sa druge strane, i autor i celi tok predstave zavise od "izvodaca" koji se 
pojave na sceni: hoce li uzeti novee i pobeci, ili shvatiti, produbiti i 
iskristalisati autorovu nameru kroz svoje akeije? Recimo da se u publici nalaze 
zaista sjajni improvizatori, i da naprave veliki spektakl od Schickove ponude, 
da li je to onda samo jos veca zabava za masu? Ukoliko samo izadu i pasivno 
stoje na sceni, da li time jos vise potvrduju da zapravo Schick njih treba, bez 
obzira kakvi su, i daje samo vazno da izgleda kao da su tu? 

Da li je ovakav odnos sa publikom (i prema publici) vrsta interakeije koja 
tera na razmisljanje i dalju akeiju, ili je to prividna akeija, koja nas zapravo sve 
pasivizira? Jasne i nepromenjene pozieije mod, gde autor i glavni lik ima moc i 
dodeljuje je, zajedno sa noveem i prostorom ostalim nasumicnim izvodacima, 
odrzavaju se od pocetka do kraja predstave, te kao da govore da za istinsko 


Frakcija #68/69 

Umjetnost i novae 


promisljanje nije dovoljno samo inscenirati drugaeije odnose. Oni zaista 
moraju biti drugaeiji, i moraju nas navesti na akeiju. Ovako se citava predstava 
pretvara u igru gde drugi "plesaci" plesu za njega: da li je on zaista dao 
nekome nesto ili je smislio inteligentnu igru da popuni 40-ak minuta svoje 
predstave? Pitanja sa kojima ostajemo su ko zapravo koga placa? Ko kome 
sta nudi ili daje? 

Prva predstava, Not My Piece, postavlja nas same u srediste promisljanja, 
jer nam ne dozvoljava da izademo iz konteksta u kome se nalazimo. Naime, 
kako se fizicki kontekst teatra u kom sedimo dok je gledamo, poklapa sa 
kontekstom u kome, kao umetnici, boravimo i radimo, Not My Piece je mnogo 
uspesnija u pokusajima da nas uzdrma i pokaze nam sta sve nije u redu i sta 
treba promeniti. Njen derivat, Halfbread Technique, donosi samo interesantan 
koncept, koji nas zapravo usled manje ili vise uspesne realizaeije ostavlja 
uljuljkane u podrueju zabave, sa saznanjem da se nas mozda sve o cemu ona 
prica niti ne tice tako mnogo. 

Obe ove predstave, ipak, inteligentno promisljaju moc koreografije, kao 
nacina organizaeije pokreta, ali pre svega onog unutar i izmedu gledalaca, 
kao i nacina organizaeije mreze pokreta izmedu scene i publike. One se 
takode tiho podsmevaju koreografskoj umetnosti kao iskljucivo nacinu 
izvodenja naucenih pokreta, i svojim predlozima nude, makar nakratko, 
moguenost izlaska iz tog modela. Martin Schick tvrdi da izlazak iz sistema 
nije moguc, ali zeli da veruje da ti odnosi nisu fiksni, da teatar nudi jos vise 
fleksibilnosti, i daje izmedu dve nemoguenosti jos izvodljivo uvek uhvatiti 
vazduh i napregnuto zajedno razmisljati kako dalje. 


KRITIKE I OSVRTI 

Izmedu nemoguceg i nemoguceg 

Dragana Alfirevic 



120 


(RE)VIEWS 


Frakcija #68/69 

Art & Money 


Between the impossible and the impossible 

Dragana Alfirevic 

Between the 
impossible and 
the impossible 

(Martin Schick: Halfbread Technique: 
Post-Capitalism for Beginners and 
Not My Piece) 


Dragana Alfirevic 

Translated from Serbian by Mirna Herman 



ince the beginning of the last financial crisis artists 
around the world insist that we all realise that something 
is not right with their working conditions, with labour at 
large, and with the relations that labour, financial 
compensation and political power establish among 
people. The minority getting rich at the expense of the 
majority, deepening inequality within an increasingly 
class-divided society, fascism based on the financial 
"unsuitability" 01 of certain social classes and other types of injustice based on 
economic inequality are the subjects occupying the work of Swiss artist 
Martin Schick. He examines solidarity and its potential for the solution of the 
current situation, all through the prism of his own work and the work on the 
relation producer-choreographer-dancer-audience. 

I watched his performance Halfbread Technique: Post-Capitalism for 
Beginners on i8 October 2013, at the Kondenz Festival in Belgrade, and the 
performance Not My Piece eight months earlier, on 2 February 2013 at the 
Swiss National Dance Platform in Basel. The first one is derivative in a way of 
the latter. Although they function as one unit, or rather as two attempts at 
disturbing the audience and making them contemplate issues of relations in 
neoliberalism and how we participate in them, the latter is somewhat more 
successful in this than the first one. It depends on the concept of the 
performance, its potential reach, but also on the performance itself and the 
cooperation of the audience whether it will all remain on the level of 
amusement and a pleasant feeling of sneering at capitalism, or whether we 


oi http://www.dw.de/reiche- 
werden-schneller-eu- 
b%C3%BCrger/a-i7227o8o 
[accessed 15 July 2014], This 
article in Deutsche Welle speaks 
about a new business move of 
Malta. Malta is selling 
citizenship to foreigners outside 
of the EU for 650.000 EUR, 
which to many is ethically 
contentious, given that in other 
EU countries naturalisation 
occurs only after numerous 
obstacles and a long process. 


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Between the impossible and the impossible 

Dragana Alfirevic 


Frakcija #68/69 

Art & Money 


are forced to think about how we impact one another, what it is that we are 
doing, and why so often when we create or watch performances we deal 
exclusively with the consequences of the problem. 

The "halfbread technique", as the title of the performance itself 
indicates, deals with the idea of sharing half of everything we own with 
someone else, who needs it. This 40-minute performance shapes the borders 
of the stage as a space of exchange and common learning of the performer 
and the audience, or more precisely it shapes the exchange on a material and 
non-material level created by these relations. In the performance Not My 
Piece, Schick, on the other hand, explored the boundaries of the system of 
performing arts today, the needs and (im)possibilities of performance arts to 
abandon the capitalist system. During and after watching the performance I 
was frustrated because of simultaneously understanding two completely 
different ideas: the enthusiastic belief in the possibility of transforming the 
current system that the performance, for a brief moment, gives you, the 
hope that there is a way out, and the constant return to the point in which 
one's own hands are tied in this system. In the materials accompanying the 
Halfbread Technique it said that the performance is an "introduction to post¬ 
capitalism for beginners", which implicitly means that post-capitalism is 
some form of abandoning capitalism, and that the performance offers 
alternatives and answers to the question "what do we do next?". However, 
what the performance tells me, as a part of the audience, but also as a part 
of the wider system, is that post-capitalism is only a metastasis of capitalism 
and that we do not know what is possible after capitalism. We are unable to 
predict the future, we are prevented from dreaming, and this inability 
paralyzes us and discourages us from trying anything else. 

By analysing the differences between these two performances, I will 
attempt to view the different possibilities of reaction, interaction with the 
audience, and finally, the different level of success to remove performing arts 
from an entertaining and leisurely hour spent in the theatre. 

Not my Piece is presented to the audience as a provocation of the 
cynical belief that everything is as it is and that there is no way out. It is a 
metaphorical questionnaire about the inevitability of our current financial 
system, about our roles in maintaining it, about the vicious cycle culture- 
capital-market, and about bringing the audience to the point of recognising 
this cycle and their own passivity within it. Schick performs two short 
experiments, one at the beginning of both performances, and the other at 
the beginning of the second one. 

At the beginning of both performances, Schick has the entire audience 
stand up. After asking everyone who purchased the ticket at full price to sit 
down, then everyone who purchased the ticket at a discount to sit down and 
finally everyone who is at the performance as part of their job to sit down, it 
becomes clear that only a negligible number of viewers purchased a ticket 
that evening, and that the vast majority of viewers did not even purchase a 
ticket, although they do not work for the festival, nor are they there as 
journalists. This allows us to directly find out how the exchange of material 
and non-material in the theatre works. 

The second experiment, carried out in the performance Halfbread 
Technique, is connected with the pyramid system of credit financing (Ponzi 
scheme), which the author demonstrates in a plastic manner by borrowing no 
Dinar from one audience member and promising to give him back 20 in 5 
seconds, borrowing 20 from another and promising to give him back 50 in 5 
seconds, borrowing 50 from yet another, and so on... It soon becomes clear 




(RE)VIEWS 

Between the impossible and the impossible 

Dragana Alfirevic 


to us in what sort of loan system and infinite pattern of greed we ourselves 
live, and we should not neglect Schick's effort to allow us to experiences it on 
our own skin, even if it is within the fiction of the theatre and only for a brief 
moment. 

Both scenes function as an introduction to his idea of the "halfbread 
technique" and make us contemplate how money creates our relations. 
During the performance we find out that the author, in order to try out 
alternatives to the present state of capitalism in practice within the 
framework of his own work, and to share his space and fee for this work with 
someone who needs it, announced an audition in Greece, at which he found 
the dancer Kiriakos Hadjiioannou. In his own words, a well-off Swiss is 
helping a poor Greek, sharing with him half of what he has. Of course, we 
wanted to applaud him, but he stopped us explaining that Switzerland is so 
rich only because all the world dictators deposit their money there. A series 
of associations begins to unwind - the global crisis, the causes and 
consequences of the crisis on different classes of labour and workers, the 
issue of friendship, closeness and solidarity, the creation of a positive image 
over the backs of those less fortunate, our participation in the dominant 
relations, sensitivisation for the common good... 

Not My Piece puts two opposites on stage: the entire left half of the 
stage is empty, dark, illuminated with only one reflector, and on it the 
contemporary dancer Kiriakos Hadjioannou, dressed in black, "only does his 
job" to the sounds of minimalist electro music: turned to us with his back the 
entire 30 minutes, he performs a hermetic solo dance. The selected music 
and the reduced bare aesthetics seem like a mockery of the contemporary 
dance expression of the 1990s and 2000s. Hadjioannou explains that his 
"choreography is actually a reflection of the state of suffering and anxiety of 
the masses of unfortunate people in his country", and we realize how 
completely impotent, cold and distanced the abstract expression is 
compared to the conceptual approach of "here and now", which takes place 
on other half of the stage. 

On the other half of the stage, in full light, with a video projector, 
computer, and numerous objects that he brought with him from his estate, 
the author explains the genesis of and reasons for working on a performance 
like this; his half of the stage represents a reduced version of the San Keller 
Learning Centre, an estate he purchased to turn it into a self-sustaining 
Centre for the Research of Alternatives to Capitalism. It is filled with various 
authentic objects from this estate, such as flowerpots with planted bio¬ 
herbs, a wooden toilet-compost, a plastic watering hose, placards for 
demonstration, buckets for the collection of rainwater... All this time we are 
laughing ourselves to tears, or have a tragic convulsive grin of helplessness, 
secretly enjoying the fact that someone is laying bare our relation to ecology 
as merely another face of yet another trend that is selling well. 

While watching the two parallel scenes, the abstract inarticulate dance 
and conceptual choreography, we are confronted in a very literal way with 
the limitations of contemporary dance as long as it is viewed exclusively as a 
sequence of more or less coordinated movements. Paradoxically, this 
humorous scene brings to mind an entire series of possible "expressions" that 
we can see or imagine under the term "contemporary dance" today. It dawns 
on me that the power of subversion of contemporary dance lies precisely in 
its hermeticity on the one hand, while on the other choreography opens itself 
up to other fields - for example, the organisation of relations as such, both 
"on" and "off" stage. 


Frakcija #68/69 

Art & Money 


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Between the impossible and the impossible 

Dragana Alfirevic 


Frakcija #68/69 

Art & Money 


Both performances examine different relations: the relation of labour 
and its financial reward, material investments of cultural workers into the 
awareness of the conditions in states and political and economic systems, 
the direct reflection of these systems on human lives and the ways in which 
they (are forced to?) work, the (im)possibility of reaction, the possibility of 
hope and realistic alternatives. 

In a short interview with Martin Schick, which I conducted as part of my 
preparations for writing this text, asked how it even occurred to him to deal 
with such issues within the limited codified space of the stage, Schick replied 
that at the invitation of a festival he began to prepare a performance, and for 
the needs of preparing it, he purchased a land plot in the vicinity of Freiburg, 
wanting to establish a new way of being with his associates. His needs were 
completely different than those of the festival since the festival expected a 
premiere. During the preparations, it became increasingly clear to him that a 
way outside of the system is becoming fiction, and this is how he decided on 
his performance, as he puts it, as a plan for the future, the opening of a space 
for the imagining of the possibility of an alternative. For him, the stage is a 
space for experimenting, a space in which it is possible to leave a trace with 
the collective act of contemplation of our political positions. This process 
failed in finding answers to all of the questions he wanted to pose, but 
although it is impossible to find a way out of the capitalist matrix, he still 
believes that it is possible to pose new questions and establish new types of 
relations. Perhaps the contemplation of an alternative is really only possible 
once we realize that an alternative is impossible. 

After watching Halfbread Technique, and even more during our 
correspondence, I could not avoid asking the following question: while 
"generously" sharing his space, what is it that Martin Schick is actually 
buying, offering half of his stage and half of his fee to the audience? What is 
it that he lacks considering he has decided to offer half of his stage and fee 
with someone else in such a conspicuous manner? In the organisation of the 
performance, there is a lack of balance and he himself is probably left at the 
mercy of those who want a half/quarter/eighth of his stage and a half/ 
quarter/eighth of his fee. Namely, during his Belgrade performance it became 
clear that it was enough to merely show up and act as an "extra" on stage 
until the end of the performance to receive a half/quarter/eighth of his fee. 
The obvious irony of his approach would make more sense if the performers- 
audience members actually used their space on stage and did a performance 
with him or instead of him. 

And in what ways is this approach, based on the elaborated half-bread 
technique, different from or similar to habitual practices of inviting 
associates to do a cooperation and sharing a space, process and finances 
with them? 

At the same time, the issue of the agency of the so-called workers in 
the arts and culture is raised, what our function in society is today, to what 
extent we are capable of reflecting on our own positions and dynamics and 
whether doing performances, which are always locked within their own 
specific code, is the best way to act? The sense that the performance is 
deeply rooted in reality alternates with the sense of an infinite fiction. One 
moment we feel deceived (because we think something has really happened, 
only to realize it has not) and another we feel consoled (because we realize 
that it is not important anyway, having reminded ourselves that we are in the 
theatre). These two mutually emphasize each other and alternate at an 
accelerated pace, to a point when the question of whether we are 




(RE)VIEWS 

Between the impossible and the impossible 

Dragana Alfirevic 


participating in fiction or reality becomes insignificant. I conclude from this 
game of alternating reality and fiction that, as long as we are dealing with a 
"subject" on stage, we are actually always dealing with the consequences of a 
problem and not the cause, thus diminishing the potential for true change. 
We should deal with the relations of production and their inversion: on the 
level of the subject, there is no possibility for change because the subject is 
always closely connected to representation and only confirms the impotence 
of the codified space of the stage, which resists any sort of change. We have 
to abandon the domain of the "subject" (which always deals with the 
consequences, and not the real causes), and enter the domain of the 
methods of production. Models of cooperation, new methods of production, 
conditions of labour and structures that blend and question these relations, 
primarily relations of power that create our roles and our real risks, are 
currently far more important than whether a certain subject is "hot" and the 
aesthetic in which it will be processed. 

Derivative of the performance Not My Piece, the performance Halfbread 
Technique shares with the audience its material resources (the space of the 
stage, money and time on stage) in a very conspicuous way. It probably came 
about as a response to the technical difficulties in transporting equipment 
from the San Keller Learning Centre for the purpose of the performance, but 
one can also view it as an experiment in entering new types of relations 
between the artist and the audience or the viewers and the viewed. 

After performing a few "contemporary dance moves" so as to justify his 
presence at a contemporary dance festival, Martin Schick invites the 
audience to the stage and offers to share a part of his fee with them. With a 
simple geometric delineation, he divides the stage and shares his fee of 
approximately 1.300 EUR. He explains the idea behind the "halfbread 
technique" with the example of Warren Buffet and Bill Cates sharing their 
wealth. On the one hand, I presume Schick uses this example to reach an as 
wide audience as possible, and on the other to make a parody of his attempt 
to fight against capitalism by reaffirming the heroes of capitalism. This time, 
several other audience members are in the role of Kiriakos, and the initial 
stage and entire amount of money that Martin received as his fee is divided 
by two, four, eight, until there are seven audience members on stage, each 
with their own increasingly smaller space on stage and wad of cash, 
awkwardly put away somewhere in the corners of the stage. This 
conceptually strong piece, left at the mercy of the readiness of the audience 
to participate and the level of understanding of the basic situation, is rooted 
in our common reality, here-and-now. It functions through the desire of the 
audience members and the economy of the network of desires, expectations 
and disappointments. The economy of the relation between the financial 
offer and desire is real precisely as much as it is impossible, to such an extent 
that it becomes far more interesting to watch the confused audience than 
the performers on stage. 

The sense that Martin Schick is a very good MC and that he is leading 
the audience (on) with ease, and that neither he nor the audience are 
uncomfortable with waiting to see who will come on stage next, though they 
will have to face a real audience and receive real money, creates a sense of 
disbelief. It is all too easy, the amount is just enough to eradicate any doubts 
and stage fright. The lack of discomfort and the sense that anything is 
possible with which the audience agrees to this arrangement creates an even 
greater discomfort among the rest of the audience that has remained in their 
seats. There is no expected excess, not even the question of what exactly he 


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Art & Money 


wants the audience members to do with the space and money he gives 
them, all power relations remain the same, the basic altruism has 
evaporated: the awakening and nurture of the feeling that there are other 
people in need, not only me. When I asked him whether, in the context of the 
performance, the idea of "let's have fun" is perhaps not a bit overly 
emphasized, he says he thinks that it is clear that this is ironic. That is true. 
What is not clear, however, is how to balance the energies and desires of the 
audience so the entertainment aspect of the performance does not prevail or 
take over since at that point we are all too aware that the first sip of bear 
after the performance will wash out the need to actually deal with the issues 
raised? 

However: who here is actually giving what, and to whom? A Swiss 
foundation is financing the festival in the Balkans, the festival decides to 
invite Schick. He, in turn, distributes his fee in any way that suits him, the 
audience comes to see the performance, but is put in the role of the 
performer and gets the chance to earn some money. Everyone believes they 
received something, but the real question is the following: what is it that this 
performance is actually doing, what is its function, apart from lulling all 
participants into feeling good about themselves? Though Martin Schick is the 
one doing the offering, it is he who is receiving something without any effort. 
In order for the concept to be completely realized and for the experiment to 
be carried out, he needs an audience ready for cooperation more than the 
audience needs him. Martin conducts his experiment with an incredible 
consistency: the roles on stage function in a way that clearly suggests to us 
that we are trapped by the very fact that we have arrived and are 
participating in the game. The capitalism that we cannot run away from puts 
on the mask of philanthropy, but is actually using us imperceptibly. On the 
other hand, the author and the entire course of the performance depend on 
the "performers" who appear on stage: will they take the money and run, or 
will they understand, deepen and crystalize the author's intention with their 
own actions? Let's say there are really good improvisers in the audience, and 
they make a great spectacle of Schick's offer. Would this reduce the 
performance even more to entertainment for the masses? If they only come 
on stage and stand there passively, does this confirm that Schick is the one 
who actually needs them, regardless of what they do on stage, as long as 
they are present? 

Is such a relation with the audience (and to the audience) a type of 
interaction that makes us think and act or is it only a seeming action that 
actually passivizes us all? Clear and unchanged positions of power, in which 
the author and main character is the one with the power and the one who 
distributes it, together with the money and stage, to other random 
performers, are maintained from the beginning to the end of the 
performance, as if they are saying that for a true contemplation it is not 
enough to fictionalize different relations on stage. They truly have to be 
different, and have to bring us to action. This way, the entire performance 
turns into a game in which other "performers" dance instead of him: did he 
really give something to someone or has he come up with an intelligent 
game to fill up 40 minutes of his performance? The questions that remain 
are: Who here is actually paying whom? Who is offering or giving something, 
and to whom? 

The first performance, Not My Piece, puts us at the centre of 
deliberation since it does not allow us to leave the context in which we are 
located. Namely, since the physical context of the theatre in which we are 




(RE)VIEWS 

Between the impossible and the impossible 

Dragana Alfirevic 


siting while watching the performance corresponds to the context in which 
we, as artists, are present and work, Not My Piece is much more successful in 
its attempts to shake us up, show us what is wrong and what needs to be 
changed. Its derivative product, Halfbread Technique, only brings an 
interesting concept to the table, which leaves us, after a more or less 
successful realization, lulled into the realm of entertainment, with the 
realization that perhaps what the performance has to say does not concern 
us that much. 

Both performances, though, intelligently contemplate the power of 
choreography as a way of organising movement, but primarily of everything 
within and among the audience members, as well as a way of organising a 
network of movements between the stage and the audience. They also 
silently mock the art of choreography as a method of performing learned 
movements, and offer, even if for a brief moment, the possibility of 
abandoning this model. Martin Schick claims that there is no way out of the 
system, but wants to believe that such relations are not fixed, that theatre 
offers more flexibility and that between two impossibilities, it is still possible 
to take a breath and collectively make an effort to think of what do to next. 


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130 


KRITIKE I OSVRTI 


Frakcija #68/69 

Umjetnost i novae 


Berza kao prostor imaginaeije 

Marko Miletic 

Berza kao 

prostor 

imaginaeije 

(.In Light of the Arc Zakari Formvalta) 

Marko Miletic 


oi Za vise detalja pogledati tekst 
Olivera Wainwrighta, "Shenzhen 
stock exchange building: inside 
China's 'miniskirt'", Guardian, i6. 
travanj 2013., http://www. 
theguardian.com/artanddesign/ 
architecture-design-blog/2013/ 
apr/n6/shenzhen-stock- 
exchange-building-miniskirt 
[pristupljeno 30. prosinca 2013.]. 

02 Citirano u: Michael A. Lebowitz, 
Following Marx: Method, Critique 
and Crisis (Leiden: Brill, 2009), 
str. 208. 


S redinom oktobra 2013. godine zavrsena je izgradnja nove 
zgrade berze u Senzenu, najmlade berze u Kini koja 
ujedno vazi za berzu sa najvecim godisnjim rastom 
prometa na svetu. Projektant ovog zdanja je Rem 
Koolhaas, zvezda svetske arhitekture, koji je sa svojim 
timom osmislio "prvu berzu za digitalno doba" gde primat 
nece imati sala u kojoj brokeri trguju vec futuristicka 
kontrolna soba odakle ce menadzeri preko velikih 
monitora nadgledati transakeije. 1 

Berza je mesto na kome se dogada razmena i cirkulacija fiktivnog 
kapitala. Finansijski kapital koji se zasniva na trgovini hartijama od vrednosti i 
noveem, sto se najcesce desava na berzama, svoje uporiste mora imati u 
realnoj proizvodnji. Ulog za spekulacije na finansijskom trzistu je profit koji se 
ostvaruje razmenom viska vrednosti nastalim eksploatacijom radnika u sferi 
produkeije. Transakeije na berzama se odvijaju brzo i sve vise su 
automatizovane, stoga ne cudi ni stvaranje futuristicke kontrolne sobe na 
berzi u Senzenu. Nove tehnologije i automatizaeija povecale su brzinu koja je 
kljucni element u berzanskoj trgovini - kako bi transakeija bila isplativija za 
kapitalistu on mora sto je brze moguce pronaci nacin da izvrsi trgovinu, a sto 
za posljedicu ima kompetieiju kakvu mozemo videti na berzama. Ovaj nam je 
aspekt berzanskog poslovanja uglavnom poznat posredstvom medijske slike 
- gomila brokera gura se ispred velikih monitora na kojima se smenjuju 
brojevi i sifre. To je ujedno i ideoloska uloga berze. Naime, ova kompetieija 
trgovaca na berzi nije nikakva herojska borba, kako nam se to predstavlja 
preko medija, vec su ti "naizgled nezavisni impulsi individua u njihovom 
haoticnom sudaranju upravo ispoljavanje osnovne zakonitosti kapitala", kako 
je to primetio Marx. 2 Dakle, kompetieija je karakteristika kapitala koja se 
pojavljuje i realizuje kao interakeija raznih kapitala (ili samih kapitalista) 
medusobno. Ona prikriva klasnu prirodu odnosa u kapitalizmu, odnosno 
eksploataciju radnika. U svom pojavnom obliku ona predstavlja kapitaliste u 
borbi u koju su navodno uvuceni bez vlastite zelje. Ovim je zamaskirano to da 
je kapital (pa i u obliku finansijskog kapitala) u svojoj sustini zbir 
akumulisanog viska vrednosti nastalog eksploatacijom radnika u proizvodnji, 


KRITIKE I OSVRTI 

Berza kao prostor imaginacije 

Marko Miletic 


Frakcija #68/69 

Umjetnost i novae 


, 03 Ibid, str. 209. 

kao 1 da raste srazmerno povecanju duzine i intezitetu radnog dana, 

snizavanju realnih nadnica, povecanju produktivnosti i povecanju broja 

radnika koji su eksploatisani. Kapital moze rasti samo na taj nacin. 3 

U dvokanalnom video radu In Light of the Arc umetnika Zakari Formvalta 
proces izgradnje berze u Senzenuje iskoriscen kao poligon zadiskusiju o 
razlikovanju pojavnih oblika kapitalizma i njegovih realnih posledica. Rad 
predstavlja nastavak umetnikovih istrazivanja o ovoj temi zapocetih 2on. 
godine u video radu Unsupported Transit koji prati nastajanje iste zgrade. 

Narativni i vizuelni segmenti novijeg rada stoje u jukstapozieiji, a tematske 
celine ili pojmovi o kojima se diskutuje u radu otvaraju se u momentima 
povezivanja ove dve ravni. Umetnik cita tekst sastavljen od niza apstraktnih 
pojmova kojima se objasnjava postojanje i funkeionisanje finansijskog 
kapitala i ujedno referira na materijalnost gradevine u izgradnji. Postavka 
rada, u kojoj je jedan ekran ispred, a drugi iza posmatraca uslovljava dinamiku 
percepcije rada - u zelji da se razume odnos dva paralelna snimka i njihove 
povezanosti sa narativnim delom potrebno je osvrtati se oko sebe. Na 
jednom ekranu, prvom kanalu, vizualizaeija je svedena na nekoliko scena koje 
sporo proticu. Kamera je staticna i tokom trajanja scena gledamo zamrznute 
prikaze unutrasnjosti i spoljasnosti gradevine u kojima se tek ponekad neko ili 
nesto pomeri. Slika na drugom ekranu nastaje uz pomoc tehnickih 
manipulacija koje su autoru posluzile da prikaze kontradiktornosti u odnosu 
pojavnost-realnost kapitalizma stoje jedan od vaznih aspekata ovog rada. 

Naime, snimak bi zgrade berze napravljen iz zablje perspektive nuzno stvorio 
prikaz u kome nam se vrh zgrade cini uzim od temelja. Kako bi ovo izbegao 
umetnik zapravo krivi sliku na samom projektoru cime nam omogucava da 
vidimo "savrsenu" sliku u kojoj su oba kraja zgrade jednako siroka. Ovako 
idealno namestena predstava moze se postici jedino distorzijom realne slike, 
bas kao sto to radi kapitalisticka ekonomija sa predstavljanjem produkeionih 
odnosa. 

lako nam je od samog pocetka videa jasno da se nalazimo na nekom 
gradilistu, umetnik Zakari Formvalt sliku prociscava do te mere da nam je 
prikazan samo kostur lisen bilo kojih sadrzaja i simbolicnih predstava koje 
bismo ocekivali da vidimo na takvom mestu. Smenjivanje scena docarava 
napredak u izgradnji berze ali deluje kao da se to desava samo od sebe; 
nedostaje prikaz gradevinskih radnika, ne vidimo radni napor potreban da se 
podigne tolika zgrada. Istina, povremeno vidimo po kojeg radnika, ali oni su ili 
usamljeni u svojim poslovima ili ih vidimo tokom odmora. Uobicajena 
predstava gradilista je potpuno izostala. 

Bez obzira sto radnici i proces rada nisu reprezentovani znamo da se 
ovo gradiliste nalazi u zemlji sa najbrojnijom radnickom klasom i najvecom 
rezervnom armijom radne snage - Kini. Senzen, grad u kome pratimo 
izgradnju berze imao je oko tristatrideset hiljada stanovnika 1980. godine 
kada je postao prva kineska specijalna ekonomska zona, odnosno svojevrsna 
laboratorija za otvaranje zemlje ka stranim investieijama i medunarodnoj 
trgovini cime je zavrsena kineska ekonomska izolacija. Danas tu zivi oko deset 
i po miliona ljudi, a ogroman deo ove populacije sacinjavaju radnici kojima cak 
nije ni omogucena stalna boravisna dozvola vec naseljuju okolne satelitske 
gradice i fabricke spavaonice, cime ogroman deo troskova rada pada na njih. 

Jedna od poznatijih fabrika u Senzenuje takozvani "iPod City" - postrojenje 
kompanije Foxconn projektovano tako da radnici gotovo citav dan ostaju 
unutar fabrickog kruga, tu rade, jedu, spavaju, tu je cak i "zabava". Tacan broj 
radnika u ovoj fabrici u kojoj se prave najpopularniji gadzeti nije javan, 
procene variraju od trista do cetiristo pedeset hiljada. Ono sto se pak zna je 



132 

04 David Harvey, A Brief History of 
Neoliberalism (Oxford: Oxford 
University Press, 2005). 


kritike 1 osvrti Frakcija #68/69 

Berza kao prostor imaginacije Umjetnost i novae 

Marko Miletic 


da su nadnice toliko niske i uslovi rada toliko losi da su se talasi samoubistava 
radnika dogadali u nekoliko navrata. Suocena sa ovim nesrecama i pritiskom 
javnosti kompanija nije bitno poboljsala uslove rada i nadnice vec je postavila 
zastitne mreze na spoljne zidove spavaonica - mozete skakati koliko hocete 
ali se ne mozete ubiti. 

Kinaje danas jedna od zemalja sa najvecim socijalnim razlikama u 
drustvu, a posebno je karakteristicna razlika u kvalitetu zivota i primanjima 
izmedu stanovnika gradova i sela. Drzavna politika "urbanizaeije" je 
omogucila ekonomski razvoj ali je i vodila ka unistavanju ruralnih delova i 
konstantne pauperizaeije seljackog stanovnistva. Time je Kina stvorila 
ogromnu armiju jeftine radne snage kojoj je gotovo jedini izbor da radi u 
fabrikama kao sto je "iPod City". Broj radnika u Kini je 1978. godine bio 
stodvadeset miliona, danas ih je oko tristapedeset miliona od cega 
sedamdeset miliona cine seljaci koji su preseljeni u gradove. Ono sto su Kinezi 
imali da nauce, kako kaze David Harvey, je da trziste i te kako moze da 
transformise ekonomiju, ali ce ujedno napraviti i potpuni preokret u klasnim 
odnosima. 4 Upravo u tome mozemo traziti i razloge za odabir lokaeije za 
snimanje rada. Rast ekonomije Senzena i potreba za izgradnjom nove 
ekstravagantne zgrade berze sa jedne strane i rastuce klasne razlike sa druge 
predstavljaju dobru podlogu za oslikavanje kontradiktornosti trzisne 
ekonomije. 

Razlike izmedu pojavnih oblika kapitalizma i njegovih stvarnih ucinaka, 
odnosno njegovog funkeionisanja su dodatno podertane narativnim delom 
video rada. U jednom delu rada umetnik unosi konkretan literarni dokument 
koji ce biti povod za razotkrivanje ove razlike pojavnog i stvarnog. Rec je o 
ekonomskom recniku izig76. kojije umetnik pronasao medu knjigama na 
popustu u jednoj njujorskoj knjizari. Nastao u godinama nakon ekonomske 
krize kada zapocinje i ofanziva neoliberalnog kapitalizma ovaj recnik stvoren 
je sa namerom da "javnost upozna sa ekonomskim terminima koji se sve 
cesce mogu cuti u medijima i kojima political apeluju na podrsku javnosti", 
sto saznajemo u videu. U ovom recniku medu pet hiljada unosa nema pojma 
vrednost, dokje pojam trziste prisutan, ali je njegova definieija izmestena, pise 
"pogledati mesto trgovine". Izostavljanje ovih pojmova, odnosno izmestanje 
njihove definieije predstavlja odredenu ideolosku poruku. Vrednost se moze 
stvoriti jedino ljudskim radom, a kao ekonomski pojam ona postoji samo u 
sistemima koji se baziraju na robnoj razmeni, sto kapitalizam svakako jeste. 
Svaki koristan objekat kojije covek stvorio otelovljuje ljudski rad i u svakom 
ce drustvu ti predmeti imati neku vrednost na osnovu njihove korisnosti, 
medutim u kapitalizmu, u kome se roba proizvodi prvenstveno radi razmene, 
vrednost dobija i politicki karakter. 

Svaki novi proizvod nastaje u interakeiji sredstava potrebnih za njegovu 
proizvodnju i radne snage potrebne za njegovo stvaranje. Upotrebom oruda 
za rad, preradom sirovina, dodavanjem pomocnih materijala radna snaga u 
proizvodnom procesu jedina moze da stvori novi proizvod, odnosno novu 
vrednost. Unosenjem radne snage u proizvodni proces stvorena je nova 
vrednost dovoljna da se isplate troskovi sredstava za proizvodnju i troskovi 
radne snage, medutim za kapitalistu koji organizuje proizvodnju to nije 
dovoljno. Kako bi stvarao bogatstvo njemu je potreban i visak vrednosti koji 
moze razmeniti na trzistu. Kapitalista mora da organizuje proces proizvodnje 
viska vrednosti sto postize produzivanjem radnog dana ili povecanjem 
inteziteta rada ili prebacivanjem dela troskova proizvodnje na radnike. 
Obzirom da radnici nemaju interes da rade duze od onog vremena potrebnog 
da se stvori vrednost dovoljna za isplatu njihovih nadnica dolazi do 



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Berza kao prostor imaginacije 

Marko Miletic 


Frakcija #68/69 

Umjetnost i novae 


neizbeznog sukoba ove dve klase. Upravo se ta klasna borba prikriva 
izostankom definieije vrednosti. 

Izmestanje definieije trzista takode ima funkeiju prikrivanja stvarnih 
odnosa u kapitalizmu. Kako bi razmenio visak vrednosti koji je pridobio od 
radnika kapitalista mora da izade na trziste sa svojim proizvodom, medutim 
trziste nije samo ograniceni fizicki prostor na kojem se dogada transakeija 
kako nam se sugerise u ekonomskom recniku iz 1976. godine. Zapravo ovo 
prebacivanje definieije na konstrukt mesto trgovine predstavlja jednu od 
osnovnih iluzija koje moramo srusiti kako bismo razumeli kapitalizam i 
koncept (slobodnog) trzista kakvo se danas promovise. U tom imaginarijumu 
prostor berze, na kojoj se desavaju velike razmene, simbolicki se predstavlja 
kao pijaca puna bezbriznih trgovaca i kupaca koji, bez uplitanja nekih spoljnih 
faktora, nasmejani razmenjuju svoju robu. Medutim realnost je sasvim 
drugaeija i u njoj slobodno trziste postoji jedino kao politicki konstrukt 
liberalnih ekonomista. 

lako bi veliki broj liberalnih ekonomista istakao berzu kao primer za 
postojanje i funkeionisanje slobodnog trzista, tesko je zamisliti da tek tako 
neko moze uci na berzu i zapoceti trgovinu. Trziste je zapravo regulisano 
razlicitim odredbama koje se donose na nacionalnim nivoima kao i kroz 
medunarodna tela kao sto su Svetska trgovinska organizaeija i Medunarodni 
monetarni fond, a te regulative uvek idu u korist kapitalu i omogucavaju vecu 
eksploataciju radnika. Naravno ova pravila su uvek sakrivena iza floskula o 
slobodi i jednakim pravima sa sve. Na samoj berzi proces trgovine skriven je 
iza nepreglednog niza formula i simbola koji se konstantno smenjuju na 
berzanskim ekranima. Taj sum koji skriva stvarne odnose u kapitalizmu ne 
postoji u video radu In Light of the Arc, u radu nema vizuelnih ili zvucnih 
efekata koji nas mogu odvuci od sustine problema koji se razmatra. Umetnik 
Zakari Formvalt je eliminisao ovaj nepotrebni simbolicki teret kako bi otvorio 
prostor imaginaeiji i marksistickoj analizi savremene ekonomije. 



( 134 

I 

f 

I 

I 

I 

( 

I 


oi For additional details, see Oliver 
Wainwright, "Shenzhen stock 
exchange building: inside 
China's 'miniskirt'", Guardian, i6 
April 2013, http://www. 
theguardian.com/artanddesign/ 
architecture-design-blog/2013/ 
apr/i6/shenzhen-stock- 
exchange-building-miniskirt 
[accessed 30 December 2013], 

02 Quoted in Michael A. Lebowitz, 
Following Marx: Method, Critique 
and Crisis (Leiden: Brill, 2009), p. 
208. 


(re)views Frakcija #68/69 

Stock exchange as a site of imagination Art & Money 

Marko Miletic 

Stock exchange 

asasiteof 

imagination 

(Zachary Formwalt: In Light of the 
Arc ) 


Marko Miletic 


Translated from Serbian by Marina Miladinov 


n the middle of October 2013, the construction of the new stock 
exchange building was completed in Shenzhen. It is the youngest 
stock exchange in China and also the one with the highest annual 
growth rate in the world. It was designed by Rem Koolhaas, a 
celebrity of world architecture, who envisioned together with his 
team "the first stock exchange for the digital era," in which the 
primacy is no longer given to the hall in which the stockbrokers 
trade, but rather to a futuristic control room in which managers 
supervise the transactions on huge screens. 1 

The stock exchange is a place in which the exchange and circulation of 
fictitious capital takes place. Financial capital, based on the trade of value 
papers and money, which is the basic activity of the stock market, must have 
its footing in actual production. The stake for speculating on the financial 
market is the profit gained by exchanging the surplus value created by the 
exploitation of workers in the sphere of production. In the stock exchange, 
transactions occur quickly and are increasingly automated; therefore the 
creation of the futuristic control room in Shenzhen is hardly surprising. New 
technologies and the automation have increased the speed, which is the key 
element in stock trading - if the capitalist wants a transaction to pay off, he 
must find the fastest possible way to complete it, which results in the type of 
competition that we witness in stock exchange. We are largely familiar with 
this aspect of stock trading owing to the media - images in which a host of 
brokers swarm in front of huge screens on which numbers and codes 
alternate rapidly. This is also the ideological role of the stock exchange, for 
the competition of stock traders is no heroic struggle, as it is presented to us 
by the media; instead, "the seemingly independent influence of the 
individuals, and their chaotic collisions, are precisely the positing of the 
general law [of capital]," as Marx observed in his Crundrisse . 2 In other words, 



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Stock exchange as a site of imagination 

Marko Miletic 

competition is a feature of capital that emerges and materializes as an 
interaction between various capitals (or capitalists). It obscures the class- 
defined nature of relationships in capitalism, which is the exploitation of 
workers. In its appearance, it represents the capitalists in a struggle that they 
have allegedly been drawn into against their will. This obscures the fact that 
capital (including the financial capital) is in its essence a total sum of 
accumulated surplus value resulting from the exploitation of workers in the 
production process, as well as the fact that it grows proportionally to the 
increase in length and intensity of the working hours, the decrease of actual 
wages, the increase in productivity, and the increase in the number of 
exploited workers. That is the only way in which capital can grow. 3 

In his two-channel video In Light of the Arc, Zachary Formwalt has used 
the process of constructing the Shenzhen stock exchange building as a 
polygon for discussing the difference between various forms in which 
capitalism appears, as well as its actual consequences. The video is a 
continuation of the artist's research on this topic initiated in 2on, with a 
video called Unsupported Transit, which tracked the construction of the same 
building. The narrative and visual segments of his recent work are in 
juxtaposition, while the thematic units or ideas discussed in the video 
emerge at the points in which these two levels are interconnected. The artist 
reads out a text consisting of a series of abstract terms that explain the 
existence and operation of financial capital, referring at the same time to the 
material aspect of the building in the process of construction. The layout of 
the artwork, in which one screen is set up before and another behind the 
spectator, defines the dynamics of his or her perception - if one wants to 
understand the relationship between the two parallel features and their link 
to the narrative segment, one needs to turn in various directions. On one 
screen, which broadcasts the first channel, visualization has been reduced to 
a few scenes that alternate slowly. The camera is static and while watching 
the scenes one sees frozen images of the interior and exterior of the building, 
in which only occasionally someone or something moves. The image on the 
other screen is produced by means of technical manipulation, which the 
artist has used in order to demonstrate the contradictions in the relationship 
between the appearances and the reality of capitalism, which is among the 
crucial aspects of this artwork. Namely, a shot of the stock exchange building 
from below would necessarily create an image in which the top of the 
building would appear narrower than its base. In order to avoid this, the artist 
has actually twisted the image in the very projector, which makes it possible 
to see the "perfect" image in which both ends of the building are equally 
wide. This ideal appearance can be achieved only by distorting the real 
picture, which is exactly what the capitalist economy has been doing when 
presenting the relations of production. 

Even though it is clear from the very beginning that the images show 
some kind of a building site, Zachary Formwalt has purified the image to the 
extent that the only thing remaining is a skeleton, void of all content or 
symbolic representations that one might expect to see in such a place. The 
alternation of scenes symbolizes the progress in the construction of the 
stock exchange, yet seems to take place all by itself; what is missing are the 
construction workers, one doesn't see the working efforts needed to 
construct such a monumental building. To be sure, occasionally there is a 
worker to be seen, but they are either isolated in their work or we see them 
while resting. The usual representation of a building site is completely 
missing. 




136 

04 David Harvey, A Brief History of 
Neoliberalism (Oxford: Oxford 
University Press, 2005). 


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Marko Miletic 


Regardless of the fact that neither the workers nor the working process 
are represented, we know that the building site is located in a country with 
the most numerous working class and the greatest reserve army of labour in 
the world: China. Shenzhen, the city in which we follow the construction of 
the stock exchange building, had around 30 thousand inhabitants in 1980, 
when it became the first Chinese special economy zone, a sort of laboratory 
for opening up the country to foreign investments and international trade, a 
process that put an end to China's economic isolation. Nowadays there are 
10.5 million people living there and a huge part of the population consists of 
workers, who are even denied the permanent residence within the city: they 
live in the surrounding satellite towns and factory-owned dormitories, which 
means that a huge part of the labour costs rests on them. One of the well 
known factories in Shenzhen is the so-called "iPod City" - it belongs to the 
Foxconn company and has been designed so that the workers remain on the 
factory premises almost all day long: they are working, eating and sleeping 
there, and there is even "entertainment" provided. The exact number of 
workers in this factory, which produces the most popular gadgets, has not 
been revealed to the public, but estimations vary between 300 and 450 
thousands. What is known, however, is that the wages are so low and the 
working conditions so bad that there have been waves of suicides on several 
occasions. Faced with these tragedies and the public pressure, the company 
did not significantly improve the working conditions or raise the wages, but 
installed protection nets on the dormitory windows instead - you can jump 
from them as much as you want, but you will not manage to kill yourself. 

China is currently among the countries with the largest social 
differences, and the especially characteristic one is that between the 
lifestyles and incomes of people living in the city and the countryside. The 
state politics of "urbanization" has made it possible to achieve economic 
progress, but it has also caused the destruction of rural areas and a 
permanent pauperization of the peasants. In this way, China has created a 
huge army of cheap labour, people whose only choice is to work in factories 
such as the "iPod City". In 1978, there were 120 million workers in China, while 
today there are as many as 350 million, of which 70 million are peasants 
transferred to the cities. What the Chinese had to learn, as David Flarvey 
writes, is that the market can surely transform the economy, but it will also 
cause a complete overturn of class relations. 4 It is this very circumstance that 
can explain the choice of locality for this video. The economic growth of 
Shenzhen and the need of constructing a new and extravagant stock 
exchange building on the one side, and the growing social differences on the 
other, offer a good foundation for illustrating the contradictory nature of the 
market economy. 

The differences between the appearances of capitalism and its actual 
effects, that is, its operation, have been additionally emphasized by the 
narrative segment of the video. There is a moment in which the artist 
introduces a specific written document that serves as an incentive for 
disclosing this difference between the apparent and the real. It is a dictionary 
of economy from 1976, which the artist has found among the discounted 
books in a New York bookstore. As it was produced at the time following the 
economic crisis, at the outset of the offensive of liberal capitalism, its aim 
was to inform the public about the terminology of economy that could be 
increasingly encountered in the media and used by the politicians to appeal 
for public support, as the video tells us. There is no word "value" among the 
five thousand items, but the term "market" is there, although with a 



(RE)VIEWS 

Stock exchange as a site of imagination 

Marko Miletic 


Frakcija #68/69 

Art & Money 


displaced definition, as it indicates "see under: marketplace Omitting or 
displacing these terms transmits a specific ideological message. Value can be 
created only by human work, and as an economic term it exists only in those 
systems that are based on the exchange of goods, which capitalism certainly 
is. Each and every useful object that man has created embodies human work, 
and in each and every society these objects will have some value, depending 
on their usefulness; in capitalism, however, where goods are produced 
primarily for exchange, value also acquires a political significance. 

All new products are created in an interaction of means and labour 
needed for their production. By using working tools and adding materials, 
labour alone can create a new object or new value in the production process. 
The input of labour in the production process creates new value, sufficient to 
pay the costs of the means of production and the costs of labour, but for the 
capitalist who organizes the production that is not enough. In order to 
become rich, he also needs surplus value that he can exchange on the 
market. The capitalist must organize the process so as to produce the surplus 
value, which he can do by prolonging the working hours, intensifying the 
working process, or transferring a part of the production costs to the 
workers. Since the workers are not interested in working longer than what is 
needed for their wages, there is an inevitable conflict between these two 
classes. It is this class struggle that is hidden behind the omission of the 
definition of "value". 

Displacing the definition of the "market" has another function, namely 
to obscure the actual relations in capitalism. In order to exchange the surplus 
value that he has acquired from the workers, the capitalist must bring his 
product to the market. However, the market is not some limited physical 
space where transactions happen, as suggested in the dictionary of economy 
from 1976. In fact, this transfer of the definition to the concept of 
"marketplace" is among the basic illusions that one should destroy in order to 
understand capitalism and the notion of the (free) market as promoted 
today. In that imagery, the space of the stock exchange, where great 
exchanges happen, is symbolically represented as a marketplace full of 
cheerful traders and buyers, who exchange their goods with a smile, without 
any intervention of external factors. The reality, however, is completely 
different and the free market exists only as a political construct conjured by 
the liberal economists. 

Even though many liberal economists would single out the stock 
exchange as an example for the existence and operation of the free market, it 
is hardly imaginable that someone could just enter the stock exchange and 
start trading. In fact, the market is organized through various regulations 
defined on the national levels, as well as by international institutions such as 
the World Trade Organization and the International Monetary Fund, and 
these regulations always benefit the capital by making it possible to exploit 
the workers even more efficiently. To be sure, such rules are always obscured 
by phrases speaking of freedom and equality for all. In the stock exchange 
itself, the trading process is obscured by a vast quantity of formulas and 
symbols permanently running over the screens. That noise which conceals 
the true relations in capitalism is absent in the video In Light of the Arc; there 
is no visual or sound effects that could lead us away from the essence of the 
problem under consideration. Artist Zachary Formwalt has eliminated this 
unnecessary symbolic burden in order to open up room for imagination and a 
Marxist analysis of contemporary economy. 











1 yi n KRITIKE I OSVRTI 

I i U Umjetnost i klasno pitanje 

Goran Pavlic 

Umjetnost i 
klasno pitanje 

(Ben Davis, 9,5 Theses on Art and 
Class, Chicago: Haymarket Books, 
2013) 


Coran Pavlic 



ropitivanje statusa kulturne kritike predmet je cestih 
diskusija u posljednjih nekoliko godina. Ishodi takvih 
diskusija uglavnom su kultur-pesimisticka zdvajanja nad 
sve manjim znacajem kulture u suvremenom drustvu. 
Razloga tome ima vise, a najprozaicniji je zacijelo 
evidentan manjaktakvog tipa diskursa u medijskom 
prostoru. Kritika se najvecim dijelom povukla u strucne 
casopise ili akademske silabuse sto je recepcijski doseg 
ogranicilo na ionako vec refleksivno iniciranu grupu insajdera. Najcesci refleks 
na takvu situaciju, pomalo obrambene prirode, pasatisticko je zgrazanje nad 
sve vecim padanjem standarda, nad sve vecom neobrazovanoscu mladih, nad 
trivijalizacijom kulture i posebno omiljeno, i sarmantno promaseno, nad 
rastucim "drustvom spektakla". 

U uvodnim napomenama Davis prokazuje takav zeitgeistovski 
sentiment kao jedan od glavnih motiva posezanja za problematikom odnosa 
umjetnosti i klase. Baveci se kritikom u podrucju vizualnih umjetnosti Davis je 
kroz nekoliko godina adresirao probleme tog umjetnickog polja iz perspektiva 
koje su u glavnoj struji umjetnicke kritike bile posve marginalizirane, a 
preliminarno se mogu podvesti pod marksisticku teorijsku tradiciju. U ovoj je 
zbirci sabrao i preradio i6 eseja koji cine zasebna poglavlja knjige, te 
analiziraju aktualne probleme "umjetnickog svijeta" (koncept koji ce i sam biti 
podvrgnut skrupuloznoj historijskoj analizi). Komentirajuci slucaj njujorskog 
umjetnika Williama Powhide, cija je kritika banalizacije i komercijalizacije 
kustoskih praksi izazvala lavinu komentara, Davis je predlozio Powhidu kao 
kuratora radionice na tu temu. Radionica je zakazana i pristigli prijedlozi 
sudionika zgrozili su Davisa, prvenstveno svojom nekompetencijom za ikakav 
sistematski uvid koji bi naznaceni problem bio u stanju umjetnicki artikulirati. 
Dominantni pristup bio je parodican ili pak cinicno distanciran, bez naznaka 


Frakcija #68/69 

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Umjetnost i klasno pitanje 

Goran Pavlic 



oi Ovo srednjeklasno odredenje ne 
pretendira na univerzalnost, ni u 
teorijskom ni u analitickom 
smislu. U skladu s cvrstom 
kontekstualnom usidrenoscu 
cijeloga Davisova kritickog 
pothvata u sjevernoamerickoj 
sceni, ova odredba je 
prvenstveno orijentaeijska, u 
smislu davanja temeljnih 
koordinata istrazivackog polja. 


iole ozbiljnog tretmana ekonomske problematike u umjetnosti. Kao odgovor 
na takvo stanje, Davis pise svoj pamflet manifestnog tipa 9.5 Theses on Art 
and Class kojije u ovu zbirku ukljucen u integralnom obliku kao drugo 
poglavlje. 

Problem nepostojanja adekvatnog kritickog rakursa koji bi bio u stanju 
pratiti izuzetno intenzivnu dinamiku umjetnickog polja postao je toliko ocit 
da su cak i usputni komentatori zapazili kronienu neadekvatnost uvrijezenih 
pristupa. Davis takvu dijagnozu zaostrava osvrtom na negativan doprinos 
same marksisticke kulturne kritike koja je, pretezito inspirirana Adornom, 
klasno pitanje potpuno ispustila iz vida. Za Davisa pak klasno pitanje poprima 
centralni znacaj. Odmjereno i precizno operacionalizirajuci pojam klase, 
referirajuci medu ostalim i na Marxov Kapital, on izbjegava reduktivizam 
svodenja klase na obim finaneijskih primanja, i uvodi difereneijaeiju i po 
pitanju autoriteta i autonomije raspolaganja svojom radnom snagom. 

Srednja klasa u takvoj optici nije ona skupina cija su primanja na sredini 
izmedu (manualnih) radnika i kapitalista, nego onaj segment drustva koji 
zadrzava djelomican nadzor nad proizvodnim procesom, te vlastitu 
autonomiju u tom procesu. Konzekventno tome, stvaranje u domeni 
vizualnih umjetnosti, smatra Davis, cvrsto je vezano za srednjeklasni oblik 
rada. Stovise "suvremeni umjetnik najistaknutiji je predstavnik srednjeklasnog 
kreativnog rada" (str. 14). U toj tocki lezi supstrat Davisove kriticke pozieije - 
klasno je pitanje centralno pitanje za razumijevanje polja vizualnih umjetnosti 
(i sire, polja ostalih umjetnosti). Perspektive koje to ne uvidaju, bile one 
esteticsticki autisticne ili pak one koje spekuliraju o post-industrijskom 
stadiju, gdje klasa toboze vise nije relevantna, osudene su na interpretativnu 
manjkavost, ili cesce sterilnost. 

Manifest 9.5 Theses on Art and Class organiziran je gotovo 
vitgenstajnovskom taksonomikom i sadrzi devet podrueja analize s ukupno 
95 teza, pri cemu cesto subsidijarne tocke predstavljaju radikalnije i 
dalekoseznije uvide od centralnih, "okruglih". Inicijalna teza glasi "klasa je 
problem fundamentalne vaznosti za umjetnost" (to) koja se nadalje 
produbljuje zakljuckom kako "razumjeti umjetnost znaci razumjeti klasne 
odnose izvan sfere vizualnih umjetnosti i kako oni utjecu na tu sferu, te 
razumjeti klasne odnose unutar same sfere vizualnih umjetnosti" (1.3). Tek uz 
takvo polaziste moguce je pristupiti analizi ekonomskih aspekata suvremene 
umjetnosti, konkretno umjetnickog trzista, jer u suprotnom "diskutirati o 
umjetnickom trzistu mimo razumijevanja klasnih odnosa sluzi jedino 
zamagljivanju aktualnih snaga koje determiniraju situaeiju u umjetnosti" (t8). 
Zakljucno, ako prihvatimo gornje teze, dolazimo do programatskog ishodista 
koje determinira Davisov pristup ejelokupnom umjetnickom polju, te 
pojedinim segmentima tog polja: "buduci da je klasa fundamentalni problem 
umjetnosti, umjetnost ne moze imati jasnu predodzbu vlastite prirode ako 
nema jasnu predodzbu interesa razlicitih klasa". Teza 3.0 apostrofira 
srednjeklasnu narav sfere vizualne umjetnosti, gdje srednjeklasno 
podrazumijeva odnos prema proizvodnji kojije individualan i 
samoupravljajuci, za razliku od administriranja i maksimizaeije profita sto 
odlikuje vladajucu kapitalisticku klasu, ili prodavanja vlastite radne snage na 
sto je prisiljena radnicka klasa (3.1). lako je sfera vizualnih umjetnosti na razini 
svakodnevnog iskustva povezana s mnogim radnicima, supstancijalne su 
veze zapravo slabe (4.1, 4.0). Pribrojimo li tome srednjeklasni karakter cijelog 
polja 1 s intrinzicno individualistickim odnosom prema radnom procesu, 
politicki horizont koji iz toga proizlazi baziranje na metodoloskom 
individualizmu. To konkretno znaci da drustvena moc dionika umjetnickog 



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Goran Pavlic 


polja proizlazi iz osobnosti, intelektualnih ili govornickih sposobnosti 2 , a ne iz 
kolektivne akeije suprotstavljenih klasa (4.4, 4.5). Iz takvog rezona slijedi da je 
(umjetnicko) trziste neutralna platforma na kojoj pojedinci slobodno ulaze u 
poslovne aranzmane i finalni rezultat ucinak je ulozenih individualnih cinidbi. 

Radovi s uvodno izlozene radionice, koji su Davisa ponukali na sistemsku 
obradu problema, robovali su upravo takvoj perspektivi. Vec pri samom 
pokusaju tretmana specificnosti umjetnickog trzista, zapadali su u teorijske 
corsokake. Zato Davis snazno postulira: "da bi umjetnicka kritika (i uopce 
diskurs o umjetnosti, op. G. P.) bila relevantna, treba se temeljiti na analizi 
konkretne situaeije u umjetnosti i razlicitih vrijednosti koje su u igri, a koje su 
povezane s razlicitim klasama" (7.0), i tek se time mogu prevazici teorijski 
defekti individualisticke perspektive. Ako se u tome uspije, onda i polje 
umjetnosti kao znacajno mjesto simbolicke borbe moze postati i mjesto 
relevantne drustvene snage (9.0). 

Drugim rijecima, teorijski solipsizam vjecnog inzistiranja na autonomiji i 
nedodirljivoj specificnosti umjetnickog polja u konkretnim se analizama 
pokazuje neadekvatnim, i tek uvodenjem klasne problematike moze se 
artikulirati teorijski aparat koji je u stanju pruziti sistematski uvid u izuzetno 
kompleksnu dinamiku polja suvremene umjetnosti. Na tako izgradenoj 
konceptualnoj podlozi i fenomeni poput odnosa umjetnosti i politike, 
umjetnosti i teorije ili pak statusa i znacaja publike dobivaju analiticki 
tretman uvelike odmaknut od mainstreama diskursa (o) umjetnosti. 
Inzistirajuci na klasnoj dinamici ejelokupnog drustva kao glavnom generatoru 
promjena i u polju vizualnih umjetnosti, Davis konzekventno polemizira s 
najprominentnijim "dogmama" polja, poput one o intrinzicnoj subverzivnosti 
umjetnosti, meritokratskoj naravi umjetnickog trzista i principijelnoj 
otvorenosti polja za sve zainteresirane. Jednako je nemilosrdan prema 
eksternalistickim pokusajima tumacenja umjetnosti (napose sociobioloskim) 
gdje pronicljivo prokazuje uvijek vrebajucu reakeionarnu agendu pri zazivanju 
prirodnih vrijednosti. 

Posebnu paznu Davis posvecuje fenomenu umjetnickih doktorata i 
ucincima koje je to proizvelo, kako u uzem podrueju esteticke evaluaeije, tako 
i sirem okviru umjetnickog polja: od proliferaeije najcesce autopoetickih 
teorijskih perspektiva postmodernog tipa do razumijevanja radnih odnosa u 
domeni umjetnosti. Snazne transformaeije obrazovnog polja u zadnjih 
tridesetak godina, u smjeru sve vecih strukturnih nejednakosti, znacajno su se 
odrazile i na dinamiku umjetnickog polja, proizvodeci analogne ucinke. 

Unatoc eksplicitnoj marksistickoj autoprofilaeiji, i najvecim dijelom 
razornom polemickom stavu prema teorijskim zvijezdama umjetnickog polja 
- Ranciereu, Zizeku, Badiouu, Negriju, Agambenu - Davisov je pristup bazicno 
skromne ambieije. Analiticko otvaranje akutnih problema umjetnosti i 
diskursa o umjetnosti cesto zastaje na prvom koraku, tj. na samom otvaranju, 
sto je s obzirom na opseg zbirke i ocekivano.Naime, svaka dotaknuta tema 
vapi za studioznijim i obuhvatnijim pristupom na naznacenim temeljima: 
dosljednoj historizaeiji problema, odmaku od svakog teorijski zargonskog 
opskurantizma i cvrstoj empirijskoj verifikaeiji teza i zakljucaka. Mimo 
epistemoloske strogoce, te uspjesnog izbjegavanja sociologistickog ili 
ekonomistickog determinizma, Davisov stil odlikuje i iskrena posvecenost 
objektu istrazivanja, s nerijetkim, gotovo pateticnim naglasavanjima koliko je 
njemu osobno suvremena umjetnost vazna. Stoga u zakljucnim redcima, jos 
jednom posezuci za elaboraeijom sistemsko-kriticke neizbjeznosti 
marksisticke perspektive, Davis naglasava: "Svakome, kogazanima 
umjetnost, u sredistu interesaje borba za svijet sto vecejednakostijertekje 


02 Toje ujedno i supstrat vrlo 

rasirene postmarksisticke teze o 
novom, kognitivnom stupnju 
kapitalizma koji toboze 
predstavlja posve novu fazu 
kapitalisitckog razvoja i koji nije 
moguce obuhvatiti 
tradicionalnim marksistickim 
instrumentarijem baziranim na 
klasnoj borbi. Medu autorima 
koji to zastupaju i ciji je utjecaj u 
umjetnicko-teorijskim 
krugovima poprilicno velik, 
najpoznatiji su Negri i Vimo. 
Konceptualnu neosnovanost 
takve pozieije izlaze Michael 
Heinrich, An Introduction to the 
Three Volumes of Karl Marx's 
Capital (New York: Monthly 
Review Press, 2012) dok 
minuciozno teorijsko 
osporavanje nudi Tony Smith u 
"The General Intellect in Marx's 
Grundrisse and Beyond" (2008) 
vidi: http://www.public.iastate. 
edu/~tonys/io%2oThe%20 
General%20lntellect.pdf 
[pristupljeno 3. veljace 2014.]. 


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Goran Pavlic 



jednakost uvjet koji kreativnosti omogucuje da potpuno realizira svoje 
poteneijale u nasim zivotima" (str. 181). lako programatski trivijalna, takva 
dijagnoza dobila je u ovih i6 poglavlja minucioznu, politicki, ekonomski i 
teorijski fundiranu elaboraeiju bez presedana u teoriji umjetnosti. Ogroman 
akademski pogon hermeticnih autoreferencijalnih diskursa o umjetnosti nece 
biti ovime previse uzdrman, no nijedna buduca analiza polja s iole ozbiljnom 
ambieijom nece biti u stanju zaobici probleme i pristupe koje je ova zbirka 
sistemski inaugurirala. 



144 


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Goran Pavlic 


Frakcija #68/69 

Art & Money 


On art and class 

(Ben Davis, 9,5 Theses on Art and 
Class , Chicago: Haymarket Books, 
2013) 


Coran Pavlic 


Translated from Croatian by Marina Miladinov 


n the past few years, research on the status of cultural criticism has 
often been the subject of debate. The outcomes of such discussions 
have largely been culturally pessimistic lamentations over the 
diminishing importance of culture in the contemporary society. 
There are several reasons for this situation, the most prosaic being 
the obvious lack of such discourses in the sphere of the media. 
Criticism has largely withdrawn into professional journals and 
academic syllabi, which has reduced its scope of reception to an 
anyway reflectively disposed group of insiders. The most frequent response 
to this situation is a nostalgically inclined abhorrence in the face of the 
accelerating decline of standards, the diminishing level of education among 
the young, the trivialization of culture, and (which is particularly popular and 
charmingly failed) the rise of the "society of the spectacle." 

In his introductory remarks, Davis has denounced this Zeitgeist 
sentiment as one of the main motives behind reaching for the issue of art- 
class relationship. Involved in criticism in the field of visual arts, Davis has 
addressed several issues in this art field during the past few years, taking 
positions that had been completely marginalized in mainstream art criticism 
and may be preliminarily defined as belonging to the Marxist theoretical 
tradition. In this volume, he has collected and revised i6 essays that now 
form separate book chapters, in which he analyses the current issues of the 
"art world" (a concept that has itself been subjected to a meticulous 
historical analysis). Commenting on the case of New York-based artist 
William Powhida, whose critique of the banalization and commercialization 
of curatorial practices has provoked a flood of comments, Davis proposed 
Powhida as the curator of a workshop on this topic. The call for participation 
was launched, and the contribution proposals shocked Davis, primarily 
because of their incompetence in terms of any systematic insight that would 


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145 


be capable of articulating the suggested issue in the art context. The 
prevailing approach was either sarcastic or cynically detached, without any 
sign of serious treatment of the economy issues in art. In answer to that 
situation, Davis wrote his manifesto-like pamphlet called 9.5 Theses on Art 
and Class, which has become an integral part of this collection as its second 
chapter. 

The lack of an adequate critical viewpoint that would be capable of 
keeping up with the extraordinarily intense dynamics of the art field has 
become so manifest that even casual commentators have noticed the 
chronic inadequacy of established approaches. Davis has made this diagnosis 
more acute by adding a comment on the negative contribution of Marxist 
cultural critique as such, since it has, largely inspired by Adorno, completely 
omitted the class issue. For Davis himself, the class issue plays a crucial role. 
Operationalizing the notion of class with measure and precision, referring, 
among other sources, to Marx's Capital, he has avoided the reductive 
narrowing down of class to the question of financial income, introducing a 
differentiation in the question of authority and autonomous control over 
one's own labour. In his perspective, the middle class is not the group whose 
income is somewhere in the middle between the (manual) workers and the 
capitalists, but rather the segment of the society that has retained partial 
control over the process of production, as well as its own autonomy in that 
process. Consequentially, creation in the domain of visual arts, according to 
Davis, has been firmly linked to the middle-class form of work. Moreover, 

"the contemporary artist is the representative of middle-class creative labor 
par exellence" (p. 14). This is the core and the substrate of Davis' critical 
position - the class issue is central for understanding the field of visual arts 
(and more broadly, the art field as such). Those positions that do not see that, 
be it because they are aesthetically autistic or because they presume a post¬ 
industrial stage where class is allegedly no longer relevant, are bound to be 
interpretatively deficient or even sterile. 

The manifesto 9.5 Theses on Art and Class is organized with an almost 
Wittgensteinean taxonomy and consists of nine fields of analysis with 95 
theses in total, whereby the often subsidiary points represent more radical 
and far-reaching insights than the central, "rounded" ones. The initial thesis 
is that "class is an issue of fundamental importance for art" (to), and it is 
further deepened by the conclusion that "understanding art means 
understanding class relations outside the sphere of visual arts and how they 
affect that sphere as well as understanding class relations within the sphere 
of the visual arts itself" (1.3). It is only with this starting point that one can 
begin an analysis of the economic aspects of contemporary art, more 
specifically the art market, since otherwise "discussing the art market in the 
absence of understanding class interests serves to obscure the actual forces 
determining art's situation" (i.8). In conclusion, if we accept the theses stated 
above, we may reach the programmatic starting point determining Davis' 
approach to the art field as a whole, as well as to its individual segments: 
"since class is a fundamental issue for art, art can't have any clear idea of its 
own nature unless it has a clear idea of the interests of different classes." The 
thesis 3.0 emphasizes the middle-class nature of the sphere of visual arts, 
where the term "middle-class" implies an attitude towards production that is 
individualist and self-managing, unlike the administration and maximization 
of profit which is typical of the ruling capitalist class, or the selling of one's 
own labour, which is what the working class is forced to do (3.1). Even though 
the sphere of visual arts is linked to many workers on the level of everyday 



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life, the substantial links between them are actually weak (4.1, 4.0). If we add 
the middle-class character of the field as a whole, 1 with its intrinsically 
individualistic attitude towards the working process, the ensuing political 
horizon is based on methodological individualism. Specifically, it means that 
the social power of those partaking in the art field comes from their 
personality and their intellectual or rhetorical abilities, 2 rather than the 
collective action of the opposed classes (4.4, 4.5). It follows from this 
reasoning that the (art) market is a neutral platform where individuals freely 
enter into business arrangements and the final result is an outcome of 
invested individual actions. 

The works at the abovementioned workshop, which motivated Davis to 
address the problem systematically, were limited to this very perspective. As 
soon as they tried to approach the specificities of the art market, they ended 
in theoretical cul-de-sacs. It is for this reason that Davis firmly argues that 
"[A]rt criticism (and art discourse in general, C. P.), to be relevant, should be 
based on an analysis of the actual situation of art and the different values at 
play, which are related to different classes" (7.0), and it is only thus that the 
theoretical defects of the individualist perspective can be overcome. If that is 
achieved, then the field of art, as a significant site of symbolic struggle, can 
also become a site of relevant social force (9.0). 

In other words, the theoretical solipsism of permanently insisting on 
autonomy and the untouchable specificity of the art field has proven 
inadequate in actual analyses, and it is only by introducing the class issues 
that a theoretical apparatus may be articulated that would be capable of 
offering a systematic insight into the exceptionally complex dynamics of the 
contemporary art field. Against the conceptual background thus constructed, 
the phenomena such as the relationship between art and politics, or art and 
theory, or the status and significance of the audience, may also receive an 
analytical treatment that is largely detached from the mainstream discourse 
of/on art. By insisting on the class dynamics of the society at large as the 
generator of change even in the field of visual arts, Davis has entered into a 
consequential polemics with the most prominent "dogmas" in this field, such 
as the one about the intrinsically subversive quality of art, the meritocratic 
character of the art market, and the hypothetical openness of the field for all 
those who are interested in it. And he has shown himself as equally merciless 
when it comes to the externalist (especially socio-biological) attempts at 
interpreting art, where he has lucidly denounced the ever lurking agenda 
behind the invocation of natural values. 

Davis also pays special attention to the phenomenon of doctoral titles 
in art and their effects, both in the narrow field of aesthetical evaluation and 
in the wider framework of the art field, from the proliferation of largely 
autopoetic theoretical perspectives of the postmodern type to 
understanding the work relations in the domain of art. Powerful 
transformations of the educational field in the past thirty years, which tend 
to create ever larger structural inequality, have had a significant impact on 
the dynamics of the art field, producing analogous effects. 

Despite Davis' explicit Marxist self-profiling and the largely devastating 
polemical stance as to the theoretical celebrities of the art field - Ranciere, 
Zizek, Badiou, Negri, Agamben - his approach is basically modest in terms of 
ambition. His analytical address of some of the acute issues in art and art 
discourse often halts at the first step, that is, at the very opening, which can 
only be expected regarding the scope of the collection. Namely, each topic 
addressed screams for a more studious and more comprehensive approach 


oi This middle-class determination 
does not aspire to universality, 
be it theoretically or analytically. 
In accordance with the firm 
contextual anchorage of Davis' 
entire critical enterprise in the 
North American setting, this 
definition is primarily meant as 
an orientation point, offering 
some basic coordinates for the 
research field. 

02 These are also the foundations 
of the widespread post-Marxist 
hypothesis on a new, cognitive 
stage in capitalism, which has 
allegedly introduced an entirely 
new phase in its evolution and 
cannot be addressed by using 
the traditional Marxist tools 
based on class struggle. Among 
the authors endorsing this 
hypothesis, whose influence in 
art-theoretical circles is rather 
significant, the most famous 
ones are Negri and Virno. The 
lack of conceptual foundation in 
this position has been 
demonstrated by M. Heinrich, An 
Introduction to the Three 
Volumes of Karl Marx's Capital 
(New York: Monthly Review 
Press, 2012), and it has also been 
meticulously theoretically 
denounced by Tony Smith in 
"The General Intellect in Marx's 
Grundrisse and Beyond" (2008), 
http://www.public.iastate. 
edu/~tonys/io%2oThe%20 
General%20lntellect.pdf. 
[accessed 3 February 2014], 


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147 


on the outlined basis: a consistent historicization of the issue, detachment 
from all obscurantism of theoretical jargon, and firm empirical verification of 
all hypotheses and conclusions. Besides Davis' epistemological austerity and 
his successful evasion of sociological or economist determinism, his style is 
characterized by genuine enthusiasm as to his research subject, often with 
an almost pathetic emphasis on the importance of contemporary art for him 
personally. Therefore, in his conclusive lines, once more reaching for an 
elaboration of the systemically critical inevitability of the Marxist perspective, 
Davis has underlined that "[Ajnyone who is interested in art has an interest in 
struggling for a more equal world because equality is a condition for 
creativity to realize its full potential in our lives" (str. 181). Albeit 
programmatically trivial, this diagnosis has in these i6 chapters received a 
meticulous and politically, economically, and theoretically well founded 
elaboration that has no precedent in art theory. It may not shake too fatally 
the monumental academic factory of hermetic self-referential discourses on 
art; however, no future analysis of the field that has any serious pretentions 
will be able to avoid the issues and approaches that this collection has 
systematically introduced. 




..v 
























KRITIKE I OSVRTI 



Obecanje nesvrstanosti 

Nina Gojic 


Obecanje 

nesvrstanosti 


Frakcija #68/69 

Umjetnost i novae 


(Parallel Slalom: A Lexicon of Non- 
aligned Poetics, ur. Bojana Cvejic 
i Goran Sergej Pristas, Beograd: 
Teorija koja hoda, Zagreb: Gentar za 
dramsku umjetnost, 2013) 


Nina Gojic 


N akon sustavnog zatiranja svakog oblika 
afirmativnog prisjecanja na zajednicki 
jugoslavenski prostor tijekom devedesetih godina, 
u posljednjem desetljecu u polju kulture mozemo 
detektirati pokusaje da se sustavno reprezentira i 
kriticki analizira umjetnicke prakse koje su 
nastajale na podrueju bivse drzavne tvorevine. 
Uslijed tog procesa doslo je do svojevrsnog 
zaokreta koji se moze uociti na primjeru festivalski prisutnog i priznatog 
dokumentarnog filma Cinema Komunisto srpske redateljice Mile Turajlic. 
Povijesti filma autorica pristupa bitno drugaeije nego sto je uobicajeno u 
obrazovnim institueijama bivse Jugoslavije. Slicno kao i s drugim 
umjetnostima, barem kada je u Hrvatskoj rijec, povijest filma poducava se 
iskljucivo u kategoriji nacionalne povijesti, iako je svaka pojedinacna filmska 
povijest nekadasnjih sest federativnih republika neodvojiva od svog 
jugoslavenskog konteksta u periodu 1945.-1991. Cinema Komunisto 
distribuiran je diljem bivse drzave, kao i na vecini europskih festivala 
dokumentarnog filma, ali cini mi se daje svoj recepcijski uspjeh ostvario zbog 
jednodimenzionalnosti kojoj se pribjeglo u strukturiranju materijala, vise nego 
zahvaljujuci reafirmaeiji zajednicke jugoslavenske filmske povijesti. Naime, 
uzimajuci Titovu filmofiliju kao uporiste za metaforu autoritarnog vode kao 
scenarista sluzbene jugoslavenske povijesti, autorica vrlo reduktivno odlucuje 
ispricati tek jednu od brojnih filmskih pripovijesti bivse drzave. Time film 
postaje jedan od nerijetkih primjera obrazaca samoorijentalizaeije u 
prikazivanju istocnoeuropske umjetnosti koji uspjesno ispunjava recepcijska 
ocekivanja zapadnjacke publike i dalje odrzavajuci binarnu hladnoratovsku 
opreku: prikazana produkeija partizanskih i socrealistickih filmova predstavlja 
se kao jedina, izostavljena je vrlo bogata tradieija modernistickog usmjerenja 



KRITIKE I OSVRTI 

Obecanje nesvrstanosti 

Nina Gojic 


Frakcija #68/69 

Umjetnost i novae 



unutar kojega su nastajali i brojni ekscesni filmovi (autora poput Dusana 
Makavejeva ili Zelimira Zilnika koji su nerijetko bili sankeionirani spremanjem 
u "bunkere" ili cak zatvorskim kaznama za autore), a odsutan je i podatak da 
je modernizam bio legitiman i sustavom cak ohrabrivan poeticki izbor. Prema 
tome, zatomljenaje cinjenica nesvrstanosti, ne kao realne politicko-povijesne 
cinjenice, nego kao proizvodne kategorije za oznacavanje umjetnickih praksi 
koje nije lako, ili uopce moguce, disciplinirati primjenom pojmovnog sustava 
koristenog za analizu umjetnickih praksi koje su nastajale u liberalno- 
kapitalistickim drustvima na Zapadu (Cvejic, 'Problems that Aesthetically 
"Unburden" Us' [str. 322-334]). 

Dakako, postoje i one artikulacije postjugoslavenskog prostora koje 
inzistiraju na iznalazenju novih, donedavna mu uskracenih tipova analiza. 
Retrospektiva Politicke prakse (post)jugoslavenske umjetnosti organizirana u 
kustoskoj suradnji WHW-a, Prelom kolektiva, CCA/pro.ba i kuda.org i 
predstavljena u beogradskom Muzeju istorije Jugoslavije u studenom 2009. 
jedan je takav primjer koji, posve razlicito od Cinema Komunisto, vrsi nuznu 
podjelu paradigme jugoslavenske umjetnicke produkeije na partizansku 
umjetnost, socijalisticki modernizam i nove umjetnicke prakse. Ta 
retrospektiva nije samo izlozila referentne radove nego i oformila platformu 
za kriticki pristup problematici jugoslavenske umjetnosti koji bi uputio 
posebice na njezine emancipacijske aspiraeije i strategije. Sasvim ocekivano, 
zbog podrueja interesa i struke kustosa i kustosica naglasakje stavljen na 
vizualne umjetnosti, koje su i u vrijeme svog nastanka bile institucionalno 
afirmirane, dok izostaju specificne forme izvedbenih umjetnosti, a medu 
njima i suvremeni pies kao najmarginalnija izvedbena forma u takozvanim 
nedemokratskim drustvima istocne Europe. 

Novo izdanje Centra za dramsku umjetnost i platforme Teorija koja 
hoda - Parallel Slalom: a Lexicon of Non-aligned Poetics - ukoriceni je 
nastavak aktivnosti edukativno-istrazivacke platforme East Dance Academy, 
a uredili su ga dvoje od inieijatora, Bojana Cvejic i Coran Sergej Pristas. 
Polazisna teza objasnjena je u prvom, proklamatskom tekstu jednostavno 
naslovljenom "East Dance Academy" (str. 16-30) i odnosi se na cinjenicu da se 
povijest suvremenog plesa na zapadu uvelike povezuje s projektom 
demokraeije, dok u kontekstu jugoslavenske povijesti suvremenog plesa 
takva ideoloska poveznica izostaje (Jansa, Kunst, Milohnic i Pristas, "East 
Dance Academy"). Umjesto toga, u sluzbeni narativ povijesti plesa zemalja 
Drugog i Treceg svijeta uvrsteni su balet, vojne parade i folklor, a suvremeni 
pies manifestira se probijanjem kroz srodne umjetnosti: vizualne umjetnosti, 
poeziju i kazaliste, kao sto ce, primjerice, pokazati tekst Janeza Janse o 
njegovoj rekonstrukeiji kultne neoavangardne slovenske predstave Pupilija, 
papa Pupilo pa Pupilcki koja je izmedu ostalog bila jedinstvena po svom 
interdisciplinarnom karakteru. Rijecima urednika, samo odredenje istocne 
plesne akademije je problematicno, ali svrha ima prvenstveno inicijacijsku 
namjeru: pozvati na drugaeije sagledavanje povijesti plesa, koje bi upozorilo 
na neodrzivost i neprimjenjivost estetskih kategorija zapadnog suvremenog 
plesa na njegove istocnoeuropske pandane upravo zbog kontekstualnih 
specificnosti koje nije moguce objasniti vodeci se jednostavnim analogijama 
temeljenim na vec spomenutim binarnim oprekama Zapada i Istoka. Iz toga 
proizlazi potreba da se suvremeni pies ne shvaca prvenstveno kao estetsku 
kategoriju, nego da mu se analiticki pristupi kao drustvenoj i politickoj 
cinjenici koja ne podlijeze istom tipu analize kao i ostale umjetnosti buduci 
da, kao jedna od najmladih umjetnickih formi, uvijek nanovo sprovodi vlastitu 
artikulaciju i reartikulaciju. Prema tome, povijest plesa u istocnoj Europije 




KRITIKE I OSVRTI 


I 



Obecanje nesvrstanosti 

Nina Gojic 


Frakcija #68/69 

Umjetnost i novae 



< 

I 


povijest diskontinuiteta i kao takva iziskuje da je se heuristicki prevrednuje, 
uz nuzno prepoznavanje i uvazavanje njezine imanentne nedisciplinarnosti. 
Takva karakteristika suvremenog plesa ocituje se i u cinjenici da je stjecanje 
tehnickog znanja na visokoskolskoj razini u istocnoj Europi u pravilu bilo 
nedostupno i cesce posredovano kroz pojedince koji su se obrazovali diljem 
zapadne Europe i SAD-a. 

Navedeni zakljucci pocetnog teksta "East Dance Academy", nesvrstanog 
niti u jednu od sest tematskih ejelina, ispisani su u manifestnom tonu i cine 
skup s jos pet programatskih tekstova graficki izdvojenih od ostatka: "Whilst 
Watching a Movie" Tomislava Cotovca (str. 132-135), "Notes on Spaces and 
Intervals" Corana Sergeja Pristasa (str. 284-296), "In Praise of Laziness" 
Mladena Stilinovica (str. 335-340), "Delay" Bojane Kunst (str. 352-353) i "18 
Paragraphs for a Metaphysics of Movement" Martena Spangberga (str. 368- 
373). Preostali tekstovi su u vecini slucajeva prethodno objavljeni drugim 
povodima u razlicitim publikaeijama, ali okupljeni pod okriljem nesvrstanih 
poetika sugeriraju da se radi o potrebi za jukstapozieijom kritickih pojmova 
koji su politicki i kulturno specificni cime polazu pravo na vlastitu (re) 
definieiju. Isto tako, autori ne potjecu iskljucivo s postjugoslavenskog 
podrueja, jednako kao sto niti tekstovi ne obraduju iskljucivo primjere koji su 
uz taj prostor neraskidivo vezani. Rijecima urednika, uvrstene autore 
povezuje pojam poetike koji naglasava produktivnu moc misli, a njihovu 
nesvrstanost cini to sto se ne radi niti o kustoskim niti o tehnickim 
terminima, niti oni ucinkovito reprezentiraju ono sto bi bilo po svojoj biti 
jugoslavensko, istocnoeuropsko, ili pak potjecalo iskljucivo iz umjetnicke ili 
teorijske domene (Cvejic i Pristas, "Introductory note" (str. 10-15)). Umjesto 
toga, isticu kako je nakana leksikona pobuditi interes za ideologiju "u njezinim 
pozitivnim konotaeijama", kao i potaknuti umjetnicke i teorijske 
eksperimente (Ibid.). 

Historicize, or Else prvi je tematski skup naslovljen sintezom 
prepoznatljivih citata Frederica Jamesona ("Always historicize") i Jona 
McKenzija ("Perform, or Else") te okuplja nekoliko mogucih pristupa u 
razmisljanju o fenomenu rekonstrukeija kao jednom od dominantnih modela 
proizvodnje u suvremenim izvedbenim umjetnostima, kako navodi Marko 
Kostanic u prvom tekstu toga niza. Historizacija se pritom izdvaja kao 
neizostavan postupak pri, s jedne strane, analizi odabranog izvedbenog 
materijala i s druge, njegovom transponiranju u sadasnji povijesni trenutak iz 
odgovornosti prema promijenjenom politicko-ekonomskom kontekstu. The 
Lapse of Knowledge drugi je tematski skup koji se sastoji od tekstova Alda 
Milohnica, Ane Vujanovic i grupe Terminally Unschooled. U svima trima ovim 
tekstovima zajednicki postupak jest ambieija da se afirmiraju inace 
derogativni pojmovi vezani za proizvodnju znanja, a koji su cesto 
upotrebljavani u klasifikacijama umjetnickih praksi bivse Jugoslavije. To su 
(radikalni) amaterizam, znanje iz druge ruke ( second-hand knowledge) i 
neucenost (unschooled), a sve ih se promatra kao nuspojavu 
neinstitucionalnih tokova znanja koji upravo zbog tog odredenja imaju 
transformativni i emancipacijski potencijal. Cinematic Modes of Action 
zapocinje vec spomenutim poetickim manifestom Tomislava Cotovca, a u 
ostalim esejima istrazuju se odnosi filmskih tipova izlaganja i koreografije. 
Asertivno shvacanje amaterizma slicno Milohnicevom ponavlja se u clanku 
Ane Janevski gdje se daje sustavni pregled fenomena kino klubova u 
Jugoslaviji koji su omogucili citavim generaeijama filmasa da se bave filmom u 
produkeijski nezahtjevnim okruzenjima pa su tako i iznjedrili autonomne 
filmske pokrete poput "ernog talasa" u Srbiji. Takoder, clanak Owena 


KRITIKE I OSVRTI 

Obecanje nesvrstanosti 

Nina Gojic 


Frakcija #68/69 

Umjetnost i novae 



Hatherleyja ("Americanism and Chaplinism, Comedy and Defamiliarisation in 
Theatre and Film, 1919-27", str. 154-188) jedini je cijom analizom pretezu 
primjeri iz bivseg SSSR-a sto se cini nedovoljnim za zbornik koji odabire 
odrednicu istocnoeuropskog pri bavljenju pripadajucim poetikama. Cetvrti 
skup eseja objedinjen je pod nazivom Passion for Procedures i nudi mogucu 
tipologiju za istrazivanje politickih strategija u okviru umjetnickog djelovanja. 
Sva tri eseja pritom teze uvesti "nove" pojmove u diskusiju te se bave 
kontekstualnom umjetnoscu i dvama neologizmima: "artivizmom" kako ga 
artikulira Aldo Milohnic i "proceduralizmom" u objasnjenju Bojane Cvejic. 
Predzadnji skup nazvan Tactical Poetics pruza uvid u korpus tekstova koji 
rasvjetljuju pojedine operativne strategije sto potjecu iz umjetnicke prakse s 
prostora bivse Jugoslavije, a pridruzena su im dva teksta Rica Allsopa koji isto 
tako strateski koristi termine paznje i privremenih zona ne bi li preispitao 
ideje izvedbenog vremena i prostora. Naposlijetku, Dramaturgies of the 
Non-aligned mapira polje raznovrsnih misljenja o odnosu estetike i politike 
pri cemu posljednji tekst u leksikonu, "Digitally and the Shattering of 
Tradition" Johnatana Bellera (str. 390-402) naznacuje sirenje polja diskusije na 
povijesni razvoj odnosa medija i kapitalizma. 

Parallel Slalom stoga nije klasican leksikon ukoliko ga razumijevamo kao 
nesto sto ima namjeru biti sveobuhvatnim pojmovnikom. On je tekjedan od 
mogucih pregleda i pogleda koji su neskriveno nelinearni, polemicki i 
selektivni. Ono sto povezuje sve tekstove je svijest o naglaseno proizvodnom 
aspektu znanja: taj proces vidljiv je ne samo u odnosu prema "klasicnijim" 
teorijama izvedbenih umjetnosti, nego i u samoj strukturi leksikona. 

Preciznije receno, odabrani eseji razlikuju se od akademski prisutnijih teorija 
koje su metodoloski usmjerene prema analizi problematike identiteta te 
umjesto toga formuliraju svojevrsni geopoliticki kriterij za analizu. Prema 
tome, nasumicno citanje pojedinacnih eseja zadovoljit ce znatizelju za 
pojedinacnim analizama koncepata, perspektiva, strategija i praksi, a 
obuhvacanje ejeline ce dovesti do uocavanja referencijalnih prepleta 
uvrstenih autora i tako pruziti uvid u nastanak jedne specificne hrestomatije 
(postjjugoslavenskih poetika. lako se fokus vecine eseja najcesce vraca na 
fenomene sto potjecu iz suvremenog plesa, oni se promatraju u odnosu 
prema drugim umjetnickim formama ili s obzirom na nacin na koji se 
diskurzivno utemeljuju spram sireg drustveno-politickog konteksta. Pritom 
estetsko-politicki zalog nesvrstanosti obnasa dvostruku funkeiju: s jedne 
strane, narusava binarnu analiticku logiku kojoj se precesto pribjegava u 
reprezentaeiji istocnoeuropske umjetnosti, a s druge, postaje ociste koje se 
dalekosezno moze ispostaviti znatno operativnijim u tvorbi znanja o 
nepripitomljenim izvedbenim poetikama. 



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The Promise of Non-alignment 

Nina Gojic 

f The promise of 
non-alignment 

I (Parallel Slalom / A Lexicon of Non- 
aligned Poetics, ed, Bojana Cvejic 
and Goran Sergej Pristas; Belgrade: 
Walking Theory; Zagreb: Centre for 
I Drama Art, 2013) 

^ Nina Gojic 

Translated from Croatian by Marina Miladinov 


A fter a period of systematic suppression of any form of 
affirmative memory of the common Yugoslav space 
during the nggos, in the past decade we have 
witnessed some attempts in the field of culture to 
systematically represent and critically analyse the 
artistic practices that emerged in the area of our 
former state. This process has resulted in a sort of turn, 
which can be observed in the example of Cinema 
Komunisto, a documentary film by Mila Turajlic that has been shown at 
festivals and received some recognition. The author has approached the 
history of cinema in a way that differs considerably from that which is 
common in the educational institutions of the countries which inherited 
Yugoslavia. Same as with the other arts, at least when it comes to Croatia, 
the history of cinema is here taught exclusively in the context of national 
history, even though the individual cinematic histories of all the six Yugoslav 
federative republics were in the period from ig45-iggi inseparable from their 
Yugoslav context. Cinema Komunisto has been distributed throughout the 
territory of the former state, as well as shown at most European festivals, 
but apparently its success in terms of reception has been due to the one- 
dimensionality of approach in structuring the material, rather than the 
reaffirmation of the common Yugoslav cinematic history. By taking Tito's 
enthusiasm for cinema as a starting point for developing the metaphor of 
the authoritarian leader as the screenwriter of the official Yugoslav history, 
the author has decided to tell, rather reductively, only one among the many 
cinematic histories of the former state. The film has thus joined the long list 
of examples that show patterns of self-orientalization in presenting Eastern 
European art, which successfully cater for the expectations of the Western 
audiences by sustaining the binary opposition of the Cold War: the 



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production of partisan and socialist realism films is shown as the only one 
while omitting the very rich tradition of modernist orientation, including a 
number of "troublesome" films (by authors such as Dusan Makavejev or 
Zelimir Zilnik which have often been banned and their authors sent to 
prison); moreover, this position overlooks the fact that modernism was a 
legitimate poetic choice, even encouraged by the regime. By doing this, the 
film denies non-alignment, not only as an actual political and historical fact, 
but also as a production category for defining those artistic practices that are 
difficult or even impossible to discipline by applying the system of categories 
used in the analysis of artistic practices emerging in the liberal capitalist 
societies of the West (cf. Cvejic, "Problems that Aesthetically 'Unburden' Us" 

[p. 322 - 334 ])- 

To be sure, there are also those articulations of Yugoslav space that 
insist on finding new types of analysis, which were missing until recently. The 
retrospective Political Practices in (Post-)Yugoslav Art, organized by a 
curatorial collaboration of WHW, Prelom Collective, CCA/pro.ba, and kuda.org 
and presented at the Belgrade Museum of Yugoslav History in November 
2009, is precisely such an example: contrary to Cinema Komunisto, it 
performed the necessary classification of the paradigm of Yugoslav artistic 
production, dividing it into partisan art, socialist modernism, and new art 
practices. The retrospective not only exhibited the relevant artworks, but also 
created a platform for critically approaching the issue of Yugoslav art that 
particularly emphasized its emancipative aspirations and strategies. As 
expected, owing to the interests and professional orientations of its curators, 
the emphasis was placed on the visual arts, which were also institutionally 
affirmed at the time of their emergence, but some specific forms of the 
performing arts were missing: among them, contemporary dance as the 
most marginal form of performance in the so-called undemocratic societies 
of Eastern Europe. 

The new edition of Centre for Drama Art and the Walking Theory 
platform - Parallel Slalom: a Lexicon of Non-aligned Poetics - continues the 
activities of the educational and research platform East Dance Academy in a 
book form, edited by two if its initiators: Bojana Cvejic and Goran Sergej 
Pristas. The starting hypothesis is explained in the introductory, 
programmatic text, which is simply titled "East Dance Academy" (pp. 16-30) 
and discusses the fact that the history of contemporary dance in the West 
has been largely related to the project of democracy, whereas in the context 
of Yugoslav history of contemporary dance this sort of ideological link is 
missing (Jansa, Kunst, Milohnic, and Pristas, "East Dance Academy"). The 
official narrative of the history of dance in the countries of the Second and 
Third Worlds includes ballet, military parades, and folk dance, while 
contemporary dance is manifested only as an occasional element within the 
related arts: visual arts, poetry, and theatre, as shown by Janez Jansa in his 
text on his own reconstruction of the legendary Slovenian neo-avantgarde 
performance Pupilija, papa Pupilo and the Pupilceks, which was, among other 
things, unique in its interdisciplinary character. According to the editors, the 
definition of East Dance Academy is in itself problematic, but its purpose has 
been primarily initiatory: to call for a different view on the history of dance, 
which would indicate the fact that the aesthetic categories from the Western 
contemporary dance cannot possibly be applied to its Eastern European 
counterparts because of the contextual specificities that cannot be explained 
by resorting to simple analogies based on the abovementioned binary 
oppositions between East and West. This has resulted in a demand that the 




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I 

I 


contemporary dance should not be primarily considered as an aesthetic 
category, but approached analytically, as a social and political fact that 
cannot be subjected to the same type of analysis as other forms of art, since 
as one of the youngest art forms it keeps articulating and re-articulating 
itself. Therefore, the history of dance in Eastern Europe is a history of 
discontinuity, and as such requires a heuristic re-evaluation, with the 
necessary recognition and acknowledgment of its immanent non- 
disciplinarity. This feature of contemporary dance is also manifested in the 
fact that it was basically impossible in Eastern Europe to acquire the practical 
dance skills at the university level, and thus they were largely mediated by 
individuals trained in Western Europe or the USA. 

These conclusions from the introductory text on "East Dance Academy", 
non-aligned with any of the six thematic units, are written in the style of a 
manifesto and form a cluster with five other programmatic texts, graphically 
separated from the rest: "Whilst Watching a Movie" by Tomislav Cotovac (pp. 
132-135), "Notes on Spaces and Intervals" by Coran Sergej Pristas (pp. 284- 
296), "In Praise of Laziness" by Mladen Stilinovic (pp. 335-340), "Delay" by 
Bojana Kunst (pp. 352-353), and "18 Paragraphs for a Metaphysics of 
Movement" by Marten Spangberg (pp. 368-373). The remaining texts have 
mostly been published elsewhere, on different occasions and in different 
publications, but when gathered under the criterion of non-aligned poetics 
they suggest that there is a need of juxtaposing critical terms that are 
politically and culturally specific, in which they claim their right to their own 
(re-)definition. Moreover, their authors do not come exclusively from the 
post-Yugoslav area, and the texts do not deal exclusively with examples that 
are inseparably linked to this region. According to the editors, what links the 
featured authors is an idea of poetics that emphasizes the productive power 
of thinking, and what their non-alignment consists of is the fact that their 
terms are neither curatorial nor technical, and that they do not effectively 
represent something that is essentially Yugoslav, Eastern European, or even 
exclusively linked to the artistic or theoretical domain (Cvejic and Pristas, 
"Introductory note" (pp. 10-15)). Besides, the intent of the lexicon is said to 
consist in awakening an interest in ideology "with its positive connotations", 
as well as encouraging artistic and theoretical experimentation (ibid.). 

Historicize, or Else is the title of the first thematic cluster, which fuses 
the famous quotations of Frederic Jameson ("Always historicize") and Jon 
McKenzie ("Perform, or Else") and synthesizes several possible approaches in 
reflecting on the phenomenon of reconstructions as one of the dominant 
production models in the contemporary performing arts, as Marko Kostanic 
has indicated in the first text within this series. Historicization is thereby 
singled out as an inevitable procedure in analyzing the selected performing 
material, and also in transposing it into the present historical moment by 
paying respect to the altered political and economic context. The Lapse of 
Knowledge is the second thematic cluster, consisting of texts by Aldo 
Milohnic, Ana Vujanovic, and the Terminally Unschooled group. The common 
procedure in all these texts reflects the ambition to rehabilitate the 
derogatory notions linked to the production of knowledge, which are often 
used in the classifications of art practices in former Yugoslavia: (radical) 
amateurism, second-hand knowledge, and being unschooled, all of them 
seen as a by-product of the non-institutional flows of knowledge, which for 
this very fact have a transformative and emancipative potential. Cinematic 
Modes of Action begins with the aforementioned poetic manifesto of 
Tomislav Cotovac, while the other essays explore the relationship between 


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Nina Gojic 


Frakcija #68/69 

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the cinematic types of presentation and choreography. The assertive 
understanding of amateurism similar to that of Milohnic appears in an essay 
by Ana Janevski, who has offered a systematic overview of the phenomenon 
of cinema clubs in Yugoslavia, which made it possible for an entire generation 
of filmmakers to engage with cinema in a setting that was undemanding in 
terms of production, resulting in autonomous cinematic movements such as 
the "black wave" in Serbia. The essay by Owen Hatherley ("Americanism and 
Chaplinism, Comedy and Defamiliarisation in Theatre and Film, 1919-27," pp. 
154-188) is the only one where examples from the former Soviet Union 
prevail in the analysis, which seems insufficient for a volume that has chosen 
the "Eastern European" as its guideline in dealing with the corresponding 
poetics. The fourth cluster of essays has been unified under the title Passion 
for Procedures and offers a possible typology for exploring political 
strategies in the framework of artistic activity. All of its three essays seek to 
introduce "new" notions into the discussion, whereby they are dedicated to 
contextual art and introduce two neologisms: "artivism" as articulated by 
Aldo Milohnic and "proceduralism" discussed by Bojana Cvejic. The 
penultimate cluster is called Tactical Poetics and offers an insight into a 
body of texts that illustrate specific operational strategies originating from 
artistic practices in the territory of former Yugoslavia, with two additional 
texts by Ric Allsop, who has also strategically used the notions of attention 
and temporary zones to explore the ideas of performative time and space. 
Eventually, Dramaturgies of the Non-aligned maps the field of various 
reflections on the relationship between aesthetics and politics, whereby the 
last text in the lexicon, "Digitally and the Shattering of Tradition" by 
Johnatan Beller (pp. 390-402) indicates an expansion of the discussion field 
to include the historical evolution of the relationship between capitalism and 
the media. 

Parallel Slalom is therefore not a classical lexicon, if we understand it as 
something that aspires to become a comprehensive terminological tool. It is 
only one of the possible overviews and views that are openly non-linear, 
polemical, and selective. What links all these texts is an awareness of the 
outspokenly productive aspect of knowledge: this process is evident not only 
in relation to the more "classical" theories of the performing arts, but also in 
the very structure of the lexicon. More precisely, the selected essays differ 
from the academically more prominent theories, which are methodologically 
oriented towards an analysis of identity issues, in that they formulate a sort 
of geopolitical criterion for analysis. Thus, a random reading of individual 
essays will satisfy the curiosity for specific analyses of concepts, perspectives, 
strategies, and practices, while grasping the volume as a whole will provide 
an insight into the referential intertwining of the included authors and the 
emergence of a specific chrestomathy of (post-)Yugoslav poetics. Even 
though most essays go back to the phenomena originating in contemporary 
dance, they are viewed in relation to other artistic forms or with regard to 
the way in which they are discursively situated within a wider socio-political 
context. Thereby the aesthetical and political legacy of non-alignment plays 
a double role: on the one hand, it shatters the binary analytical logic, which is 
all too often recurred to when representing Eastern European art; on the 
other hand, it becomes a vantage point that can turn out far more 
operational in the creation of knowledge about the untamed performing 
poetics. 









Frakcija #68/69 

Umjetnost i novae 


KRITIKE I OSVRTI 

Minimum, i istovremeno maksimum 

Zrinka Uzbinec 

Minimum, i 

istovremeno 

maksimum 

(Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker 1 Bojana 
Cvejic, A Choreographer's Score, Brussels 
Mercatorfonds, 2012) 


Zrinka Uzbinec 


lavni trg, susret, kratak razgovor i preuzimanje 
kartonskog fascikla vizualno cistog dizajna, s 
koricama bijele boje na kojima ernim slovima stoji: 

A Choreographer's Score by Anne Teresa 
De Keersmaeker & Bojana Cvejic. 

Vec samim dizajnom, formom fascikla (i Courierom 
kao glavnim fontom), A choreographer's Score govori 
o svojoj radnoj i analitickoj naravi, pozivajuci citatelja da u njega ubaci i 
vlastite biljeske. Fascikl sadrzi publikaeiju i kartonsku kosuljicu u koju su 
umetnuta cetiri dvd-a, pa sam se na trenutak ponadala da je rijec o ejelovitim 
snimkama predstava do kojih nisam mogla doci pregledavajuci javno 
dostupne materijale. Moja plesacka znatizelja bila je okinuta. 

Posvetilasam se citanju i istrazivanju publikaeije jedne od najistaknutijih 
umjetnica suvremenog plesa, Anne Terese De Keersmaeker, belgijske 
koreografkinje i plesacice, osnivacice plesne kompanije Rosas i kljucne figure 
flamanskog novog vala. Publikacija je oblikovana kao serija analiza 
koreografskog zapisa njenih prvih predstava. Radovi okupljeni u njoj stilski su 
obiljezili koreografski jezik u kojem se pies promislja obicnim, svakodnevnim 
kretanjem, odbacivanjem viskova i ekspresivnih dodataka. Rezultat je 
istrazivanja zapocetog 2010., kojeg su zajednicki osmislile i realizirale Bojana 
Cvejic, teoreticarka izvedbenih umjetnosti, i sama Anne Theresa De 
Keersmaeker. Povod za analizu i nastanak publikaeije bila je obnova i ponovne 
izvedbe prvih radova De Keersmaeker pod zajednickim nazivom "Early works" 
2010., nastalih u razdoblju od 1982. do 1987. Radi se o cetiri rana rada koji 
ustanovljuju cetiri razlicita, ali temeljna pristupa u razvoju njenog 
koreografskog jezika. To su: 



KRITIKE I OSVRTI 

Minimum, i istovremeno maksimum 

Zrinka Uzbinec 


Frakcija #68/69 

Umjetnost i novae 


— Fase, Four Movements to the Music of Steve Reich (1982) / Violin Phase, 
Come Out, Piano Phase, Clapping Music 

— Rosas Danst Rosas (l983) 

— Elena's Aria (i984) 

— Bartok/Mikrokosmos (l987) 

Ove cetiri predstave koje cine okosnicu publikaeije radovi su ne samo 
koreografkinje, vec i plesacice u istim koreografijama. Plesne predstave 
nastale su bivanjem u dvorani, kretanjem i potragom za svojim izrazom, za 
svojim koreografskim rukopisom. Upravo mi je to tjelesno iskustvo plesacice- 
autorice najzanimljivijejer nastaje kao nusproizvod odnosa plesackog i 
koreografskog misljenja plesa. 




A Choreographer's Score 

Kako se u uvodu publikaeije navodi, zanimljivo je daje u Europi u posljednjih 
desetak godina napravljen iskorak u smjeru razvoja razlicitih metoda 
arhiviranja i dokumentiranja plesa, drugaeijeg prijenosa plesnog i 
koreografskog znanja te razvoja digitalnih alatki za prikaz i prijenos poetickih 
i tehnickih principa kretanja. Takav rad na sedimentaeiji metodologije 
umjetnickih praksi zasigurno ide bok uz bok i s nacinima financiranja 
eksperimentalne umjetnosti u Europi, te predstavlja zaokret iz projektnog u 
istazivacko polje s duljim vremenskim periodom za rad i visegodisnjim 
financiranjem. No, osim ekonomskih povoda, cini mi se da remedijaeija 
umjetnickih praksi, odnosno, istrazivacki boom, ako ga mozemo tako nazvati, 
ima i drugu usmjerenost - potrebu europskih koreografa za refleksivnim 
pristupom vlastitom radu. Cilj takvog zaokreta je analiza i sistematizaeija 
umjetnickog rada koju se moze podijeliti i sa sirim krugom publike. Naime, 
pies, za razliku od glazbe, filma ili likovnih umjetnosti, pati od povijesnog 
nedostatka refleksivno-teorijskih dokumenata sto dovodi do opasnosti da 
mnogi znacajni radovi koji su obiljezili razvoj suvremenog plesa s vremenom 
nestanu ili ostanu sacuvani jedino u privatnim bibliotekama. Partiture, 
snimke, tekstovi i razliciti vizualni ili dozivljajni elementi publikaeija i alatki 
pokusavaju djelomicno "raskrinkati" koreografske principe i diferencirati 
poetske specificnosti razlicitih autora. Istovremeno rade i na razumijevanju 
suvremenog plesa koje cesto ostaje zamuceno neiskusnom gledatelju, a 
ponekad cak i onom kazalisno educiranijem, koji ne pripada uskom krugu 
ovog umjetnickog miljea. 

Publikaeije i alatke koje otvaraju kreativni proces imaju stoga visestruku 
ulogu. Radeci na njima, autori dobivaju prostor za analizu vlastitog rada i za 
njegovu refleksiju, a to ima ucinka i na proizvodnju znanja o (u) koreografiji i 
plesu. Citatelju pak daju uvid u kreativni proces jer govore i o njemu i o znanju 
koje nastaje kao njegova posljedica, a koje ne sluzi samo za "poslagivanje" 
zavrsnog proizvoda - predstave. Ako mastam i dalje, nikad se ne zna, mozda 
otvore put i tome da se pies pocne citati odvojeno od uvijek napete potrage 
za odgovorom na pitanje "sto se plese", ne napustajuci ono sto pies razlikuje 
od ostalih umjetnickih disciplina, od dozivljaja na razini kinestetickog 
iskustva. Kako kaze Bojana Cvejic u uvodu publikaeije: "Kako bi se pies uzeo 
za ozbiljno, bitno je da sam sebe uzme za ozbiljno". 

A choreographer's score sastoji se od dva dijela: publikaeije i cetiri dvd-a 
za cetiri koreografije. Koreografije su i tekstualno i video snimkama (na 
dvd-u) gotovo kirurski obradene u formi intervjua. Buduci da dvd ne nosi 



KRITIKE I OSVRTI 

Minimum, i istovremeno maksimum 

Zrinka Uzbinec 


Frakcija #68/69 

Umjetnost i novae 


ejelovite snimke predstava, vrlo vjerojatno zbog pazljive zastite autorskih 
prava, isprva mi nije bilo jasno zasto bi gotovojednak sadrzaj bio obraden i 
tekstualno i video materijalima. Ipak, taj se pristup pokazao smislenim. 

Naime, tekstualni materijal nudi pitanja i odgovore vezane uz ideje za 
predstavu i kontekst u kojem je nastala, metode i procedure, podrijetlo i 
odabir plesnih pokreta te problem odnosa koreografije prema glazbi, prostoru 
i kostimima. Upotpunjen je skicama koreografskih partitura i ertezima te 
arhivskom dokumentaeijom poput programskih knjizica i troskovnika, 
fotografijama s proba i izvedbi te privatnim zapisima iz biljeznice. Za razliku 
od teksta, video varijanta nudi zanimljiv spoj razgovora, plesa i kratkih snimki 
proba i izvedbi. Razgovor se na videu odvija, pretpostavljam, u studiju, a 
Bojana Cvejic koja postavlja pitanja, ostaje izvan kadra. U kadru su A. T. De 
Keersmaeker, dvije stolice i ploca za pisanje. Zbog takvog dispozitiva, 
ispitivacica povremeno sklizne u ulogu ucenice, a ispitanica iz eksplikacijske 
uranja u ulogu plesacice (da bi iz nje ubrzo i izronila), demonstrirajuci plesne 
pokrete i sekvence ispred kamere. Njezini odgovori ispresjecani su ertanjem 
prostornih, muzickih i koreografskih skica po ploci, bljeskovima plesa i 
sjecanja, povremenim napetim pauzama u potrazi za preciznim odgovorom. 
Ponekad upravo prokliznuca u pies postaju kljucna u potrazi za pravim 
odgovorom jer tijelo u tim situaeijama kaze ono sto rijecima moze ostati 
samo prevedeno. Ti nam kratki izvedbeni bljeskovi na trenutak promijene 
fokus; nacin na koji slusamo, gledamo i razumijemo ono sto je prije toga 
receno. Primjerice, dok De Keersmaeker pred plocom analizira koreografsku 
kompozieiju jedne od predstava, na trenutak zastane, izvede plesnu sekvencu 
(kao da se tijelom zeli podsjetiti ili preciznije izraziti) da bi se potom vratila 
pisanju po ploci. I iako je taj trenutak plesa kratak, bez razrade i izvaden iz 
konteksta ejelokupne koreografije, gledatelju plesacu postaje mjesto 
prepoznavanja i razumijevanja onoga o cemu De Keersmaeker govori, pise ili 
erta. Tekst publikaeije nam stoga nudi preciznost koju govor ponekad nema, a 
video opet izvedbene momente koji tu preciznost smjestaju u samo tijelo. 

I video i tekst publikaeije imaju ulogu ekstenzije koreografija, poput 
partiture za citanje jedinstvenog koreografskog jezika i njegovog boljeg 
razumijevanja. Kroz dijalog i spoj dviju perspektiva - koreografske i 
promatracke - oni zajednicki odmotavaju slojeve jednog koreografskog 
pristupa i jezika - principe, koncepte, stil i odabir pokreta. Zato 
pretpostavljam daje odluka da razgovor bude u formi intervjua vodena 
namjerom da usmjeri intuitivne pristupe radu koje je tesko "iskopati" 
reflektirajuci vlastiti rad sam, a koji su cesto jedni od najvaznijih pokretaca za 
donosenje odluka. 


Koreografsko tkanje 

U publikaeiji se analizira svaka predstava pojedinacno, no postoje poveznice 
koje ih cine dijelom jedinstvenog koreografskog jezika. To su prije svega 
koreografski principi, nacini na koje se pokreti i ejeline uvezuju u fino tkanje 
koreografije i koji se pojavljuju u sve cetiri predstave, najgusce u prve dvije: 
Fase, Four Movements to the Music of Steve Reich i Rosas Danst Rosas. 

Bazicni princip proizvodnje materijalaje ponavljanje, izvodenje pokreta 
ili sekvence pokreta vise odjednom, u razlicitim kombinaeijama koje 
kontinuitetom izvodenja, na razini makrostrukture predstave, postepeno 
sklapaju neprekinuti tijek izvedbe. Trajanjem predstave pies se nastavlja 
postepeno se razvijajuci sa ili bez iznenadnih promjena, a akumulacijom 


KRITIKE I OSVRTI 

Minimum, i istovremeno maksimum 

Zrinka Uzbinec 


Frakcija #68/69 

Umjetnost i novae 



novih pokreta na osnovu, plesni se materijal s vremenom i transformira. 
Ponavljanje kao koreografski princip u predstavi Rosas Danst Rosas dovedeno 
je do vrlo kompleksnih kombinaeija koristenjem kontrapunkta kao momenta 
iznenadenja. Kontrapunkt je izraz posuden iz glazbenog rjecnika, a u plesu 
predstavlja odnos dvaju ili vise tijela koji izvode pokrete istodobno, ali s 
pomakom u vremenu ili redoslijedu izvedbe. U predstavi Fase, Four 
Movements to the Music of Steve Reich De Keersmaeker intenzivno koristi 
phase-shifting kao koreografski odgovor na phasing, kompozicijsku tehniku u 
kojoj repetitivnu frazu izvode dva instrumenta u postojanom, ali ne i 
identicnom tempu. Dva instrumenta (ili dvije snimke na traci) pocinju svirati 
unisono, zatim jedan od njih ubrza ili uspori izvodenje nekih nota i nastavi 
svirati s odredenim vremenskim razmakom u odnosu na prvi instrument. 
Razdvajanje u zvuku nastavljaju izvodeci fraze tako da svaku notu cujemo 
dvostruko. Nakon toga odlaze u jos kompleksniji zvueni odnos, da bi se 
konacno vratili istim putem natrag. Koreografski, phase-shifting se dogada u 
trenutku u kojem dva jednaka pokreta ili sekvence pokreta (koje primjerice 
izvode dvije plesacice paralelno u prostoru i unisono u izvedbi) postepeno 
mijenjaju odnos, bilo vremenski, bilo prostorno. Najbolji primjer je kretanje 
plesacica u koreografiji Piano Phase. Pokret je jednostavan, sastavljen od 
varijaeija hodanja s okretanjem oko jedne noge, svaki put za 180 stupnjeva, 
voden rukom i gornjim dijelom tijela. Dvije plesacice pocinju unisono u 
kretanju i smjeru izvedbe sve dok jedna od njih ne ubrza i promijeni smjer 
kretanja. Svjetlo dodatno pojacava dojam, cak stovise, povremeno zauzima 
ulogu treceg izvodaca jer se njegovim preciznim usmjerenjem prema 
straznjem zidu omogucuje oertavanje sjena plesacica, a koje, kad jedna od 
njih ubrza kretanje i promijeni smjer, podertava skok u fazi glazbene i plesne 
izvedbe. 



Plesni vokabular 

Ohrabrenje za strukturne odluke koje je sa svojim suradnicima donosila, 
posebice kad je rijec o suodnosu glazbe, plesa, prostora i kretanja, De 
Keersmaeker je pronasla u americkim koreografima koji su ig6o-ih i 1970-ih 
predlozili drugaeije videnje plesa i koreografije kroz obicno, svakodnevno 
kretanje, odbacivanje ekspresivnih dodataka te suodnos svih elemenata 
izvedbe. Kako sama navodi, upravoje opera Einstein on the Beach redatelja 
Roberta Wilsona, kompozitora Philipa Classa i koreografkinje Lucinde Childs, 
koja kombinira kazalisne elemente i visoko formaliziran pokret baziran na 
ponavljanju, vazila kao inspiraeijski impuls. Spor razvoj materijala i dugo 
trajanje dramaturski otvaraju prostor i pruzaju moguenost da se paznja seli s 
elementa na element predstave i da gledatelj sam stvara veze i odnose medu 
njima, a da oni nisu strukturno pretpostavljeni. 

Plesni se vokabular stoga vecinom oslanja na kombinaeiju svakodnevnih 
gesti (hodanja, okretanja, sjedanja, lezanja, pomicanja ruku) s formalnim, 
repetitivnim pokretima koji su iz njih izvedeni. U predstavi Rosas Danst Rosas 
on sadrzi i momente napada i uzmaka te pokreta jakog energetskog naboja, 
ali bez afektivnog dodatka, dok u Violin Phase ekonomiju kretanja cine okreti/ 
vrtnje i pokreti stopalima koji se ponavljaju, grade akumulacijom, variraju i u 
trajanju izvedbe kompliciraju. Kostim u proizvodnji plesa igra vaznu ulogu - u 
Violin Phase to je haljina koja zbog svog prirodnog kretanja oko tijela poziva 
na vrtnju, a kako se na podlozi na kojoj plese nalazi (pretpostavljam) pijesak, 
vazan je bio i odabir obuce. Pokretima stopala erta se po pijesku i na tlu 




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ostavlja upisan trag izvedbe. Cipele (The Roots, koje su s Rosas Danst Rosas 
postale i stilsko obiljezje) tijelu su dale vecu tezinu sto je omogucilo vidljivije 
upisivanje tragova u tlo radi potrebe za iscrtavanjem uzorka, kao i specificnu 
kvalitetu izvedbe. U Elena's Aria kostim takoder oblikuje pokret - uske haljine 
koje sputavaju pokret proizvodeci sitnije korake i padove i visoke pete koje 
tijelu mijenjaju teziste. Osim kostima, stolica je kljucni objekt u proizvodnji 
plesa, i kao mjesto izvedbe. Primjerice, u predstavi Come Out citav se pies 
odvija u sjedecoj pozieiji oko osi stolice, u krug. Noge su zbog toga uglavnom 
fiksirane na jedno mjesto, s povremenim izbacajima u kojima se noga ispruzi 
pa vrati, dok ruke i gornji dio tijela nose vecinu izvedbe. 

U predstavama Rosas Danst Rosas i Elena's Aria, pokreti imaju gestualni 
karakter - kretnje poput spustanja i podizanja ruba bluze kako bi se pokazalo 
rame, prolaska prstima kroz kosu ili podizanja suknje, funkeioniraju kao geste 
jer za razliku od ostalih pokreta nose drugaeije znacenje, sa predznakom 
"zenskih" gestualnih pokreta. Uz to, izvedeni su specificnom kvalitetom koja 
je s vremenom, postala stilski amblematska za koreografske radove Anne 
Terese De Keersmaeker. I pokreti i kvaliteta kretanja su, po njezinim rijecima, 
izlazili iz zelje za individuaeijom svake od njih, iz naglasavanja osobnosti 
plesacica unutar jedinstvenog, zajednickog vokabulara, kao i iz cinjenice da su 
plesale "same sebe" te proizvodile plesni vokabular "iz sebe". Cini se ipak da 
su proizvodeci pies stvarale dojam/sliku kretanja o kojoj u tom momentu nisu 
promisljale jer je dolazio iz njihovih tijela. Bilo bi doduse zanimljivo, uz vise 
paznje i sire opservaeije, usporediti kako se njihovo videnje zenstvenosti na 
razini pokreta i geste odnosi spram drugih koreografskih pristupa 
zenstvenosti. 


Odnos s glazbom 

U vecini radova De Keersmaeker razvija blizak odnos glazbe, sistemskog 
razmisljanja u koreografiji i plesa, pri cemu glazbu, zapravo glazbenu 
partituru, koristi kao generator za koreografiju. Sa svojim bliskim suradnikom, 
filmskim redateljem i glazbenikom, Thierryjem De Meyjem, analizira njezine 
dijelove i prepoznaje principe koje potom prevodi u koreografske. U predstavi 
Fose, Four Movements to the Music of Steve Reich Reichove inovaeije ukljucuju 
koristenje loopa na trakama da bi proizveo phasing uzorak. Koreografiju 
tretira onako kao sto Reich tretira glazbu - s minimumom unesenog sadrzaja 
i maksimalnim nacinom njegovog kombiniranja. U prvoj koreografiji 
predstave Piano Phase, analizira jedan od prvih radova Stevea Reicha u kojem 
koristi phase-shifting s akusticnim instrumentima. Sama glazbena partitura je 
podijeljena u tri dijela, a na razini cijele partiture postoji muzicka fraza koja se 
ponavlja. Kao sto je vec navedeno, dva klavira pocinju unisono da bi zatim 
jedan, s odredenim vremenskim razmakom, "preskocio" u izvedbi fraze kao 
sto plesacice, koje zapocinju unisono u kretanju i smjeru izvedbe mijenjaju 
odnos kad jedna od njih ubrza i promijeni smjer kretanja. U koreografiji 
Clapping Music, muzicari uzivo pljescu isti ritmicki obrazac najprije unisono, a 
potom se pocinju razilaziti. Jedan od njih pri svakoj sljedecoj izvedbi ritmickog 
obrasca izostavi prvu notu tj. prvi udarac. Pocinje pljeskati u isto vrijeme kad i 
prvi muzicar, no njegova prva nota je druga nota originalnog obrasca, dok mu 
je posljednja nota prva nota originalnog obrasca. Tako nastavljaju u krug sve 
dok se ne vrate unisonoj izvedbi. Koreografska odluka je u odnosu na muzicki 
predlozak isla suprotnim putem. Plesna sekvenca se takoder ponavlja, ali se u 



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plesu ne izostavlja pokret, vec se pokret nadodaje. U predstavi Bartok/ 
Mikrokosmos znatizelja za analizom i istrazivanjem glazbe dovela je do vrlo 
zahtjevnog zadatka - do analize ozbiljnog klasicnog djela u kojem ima vrlo 
malo slobode za interpretaeiju, jos manje za prijevod u pies, i u kojem je svaka 
stavka vrlo precizno odredena i kompleksno strukturirana. Mjere u kojima je 
pisana, pulsacije i ritmicke strukture na momente su vrlo tesko raspoznatljive 
netreniranom uhu. Kako ne bi olako presla preko rigidne strukture, elemente 
glazbenog predloska koristilaje kao elemente makrostrukture koreografije, 
no izazovu prijevoda u pies odlucila se prikrasti iz drugog kuta. Drugim 
rijecima, iz djela je na povrsinu zeljela izvuci njegovu muzikalnost, podertati 
melodiju i ritam. Pribliziti pies glazbi. I umjesto naglasavanja njegove 
kompleksne strukture, postupila je suprotno: pojacala je plesnost i 
muzikalnost. Plesnost je dodatno naglasena pokretima koji podsjecaju na 
folklorni ili socijalni pies jer Bartokove skladbe obiluju zvukovnim slikama s 
elementima folklora. Da, pribliziti pies glazbi, ali i plesu "obicnog" covjeka, 
doduse ubacenog u vrlo formaliziranu i kompleksnu matricu izvedbe. Izvuci 
virtuoznost iz jednostavnih pokreta koje bi svatko mogao otplesati. Za razliku 
od ostalih radova iz rane faze, ovaj rad traje samo 30 minuta, no 30 minuta 
vrlo gustog tkanja i filigranske preciznosti izvedbe. Uigranost plesaca 
medusobno i s muzicarima, stvara jedinstven odnos glazbe i plesa izvedenih 
uzivo kroz nadovezivanje, preklapanje i suodnos. Takvo scensko iskustvo 
nastoji pruziti gledatelju moguenost da gleda glazbu i slusa pies u isto 
vrijeme dok slusa glazbu i gleda pies. 



Pies kao rad 

Publika pri ulasku moze vidjeti plesacice na sceni u pripremi za izvedbu, sto u 
to vrijeme nije bilo cesto videno. Nista se ne skriva, nema ulica u kojima 
plesacice nestaju ili iza kojih bi se neku radnju moglo sakriti. Sve se dogada na 
sceni i radnje, poput obuvanja cipela, unosenja ili premjestanja stolica, traju 
koliko im treba da se izvrse. Osim toga, predstava traje preko dva sata sto 
djeluje vrlo iscrpljujuce na plesacice, a time je u plesu naglasena dimenzija 
fizickog rada uz nefunkcionalnu, ali usmjerenu potrosnju energije. Ponavljanje 
i ponavljanje i ponavljanje u dugom trajanju pocinje proizvoditi visak i 
transformirati se u neku vrstu zadovoljstva i uzbudenja. Pokret je za vrijeme 
izvodenja popracen cujnim dahom, i upravo mu taj dah daje funkeiju i 
usmjerenje. Iscrpljivanje koje se javlja u izvedbi nije cilj vec posljedica 
strukturalnih odluka: fizickog iscrpljivanja plesacica zbog dugog trajanja i 
koreografskog iscrpljivanja relativno malog broja plesnih pokreta, ali u 
velikom broju njihovih kombinaeija. Pritom se, vjerujem, izvedbeni izazov 
sastojao od potrage za nacinom kako preci preko umora i iscrpljenosti u 
radost zajednickog izvodenja. I upravo zajednistvo moze postati zanimljiva 
perspektiva iz koje se predstava gleda, posebice Elena's Aria u kojoj su, 
rijecima De Keersmaeker, podrska i solidarnost tijekom procesa pripreme 
predstave i u izvedbi okupljajuci princip rada. Kako je predstava organizirana 
oko dva nacina bivanja na sceni - plesa i sjedenja, cekanja odnosno gledanja - 
njihovo gledanje je postajalo njihov pies i obratno. 

Ova publikaeija pruza odlican pregled ranih radova Anne Terese de 
Keermaeker i znacajne je arhivske vrijednosti. Radovi okupljeni u publikaeiji 
temeljni su za razvoj njezinog analitickog koreografskog jezika, cistog i 




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preciznog pri plesnoj izvedbi. Koreografski jezikje promisljen kroz pokret i iz 
pokreta, a kompozieijski se slaze kroz redukeiju i maksimizaeiju u isto vrijeme 
- iz samo nekoliko plesnih fraza (minimalnog broja pokreta koji imaju svoj 
pocetak i kraj te koji kao ejelina u predstavi funkeioniraju neovisno), ali 
maksimizaeijom njihovih varijaeija. Detaljnim analitickim pristupom radovima 
autorice su zaista zaokruzile i definirale metodoloske i koreografske principe 
Anne Therese De Keersmaeker koje svakako vrijedi prouciti. Istovremeno, 
publikaeijom su postavile i tocku na kraju teksta cime se sakupljeno znanje 
instaliralo, zauzelo mjesto na polici. A cini mi se, iz moje plesacke perspektive, 
da ovdje postoji nit za koju bi se moglo uhvatiti pa da se rad nastavi u smjeru 
alatke koja, neopterecena estetskim pristupom, moze posluziti kao 
metodoloski primjer za kreaeiju ili za artikulaciju neeijeg tudeg rada. Naime, 
citajuci publikaeiju, razmisljala sam o tome kako dosljedna i marljiva izgradnja 
koreografskog jezika uvijek ostane stvar poetike specificnog koreografa, 
njegovog ili njezinog stilskog potpisa i rukopisa pojedinca koji ga ktomejos i 
stvara kroz vlastito tijelo. No kako onda metodologiju koreografiranja odvojiti 
od tijela koreografa i njegove poetike da bi se to "estetikom neoptereceno" 
plesno znanje prenijelo dalje? Zaintrigirale su me takoder obnove ovih ranih 
radova jer su ih izvodile druge plesacice; da bi ih se naucilo plesati kao sto su 
plesale plesacice originalnog postava predstave, trebalo je razmisliti o 
prijenosu specificnog nacina kretanja s jednog tijela na drugo tijelo. Kao i 
postaviti pitanje: koje tjelesne kategorije izdvojiti iz plesackog tijela da bi ih 
se, kad se "isele" iz jednog, moglo "useliti" u drugo plesacko tijelo? Drugim 
rijecima, bilo bi zanimljivo vidjeti kako se ovaj koreografski pristup i plesacko 
znanje metodoloski/pedagoski oslobada koreografskog potpisa s ciljem 
prijenosa i ucenja o tome kako koreografirati, a i kako to znanje soeijalizirati 
umjesto da ga se komodificira i profesionalizira. 


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The minimum and, 
at the same time, 
the maximum 

(Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker and Bojana 
Cvejic, A Choreographer's Score , Brussels: 
Mercatorfonds, 2012) 


Zrinka Uzbinec 


Translated from Croatian by Ana Sabljak 


he main square, an encounter, a brief conversation and 
exchange of a cardboard folder of a visually clean design, 
with white covers, and the following title in black letters: 

A Choreographer's Score by Anne Teresa 
De Keersmaeker & Bojana Cvejic. 

With its design alone, the shape of the folder (and Courier 
as the main font), A choreographer's Score speaks of its 
utilitarian and analytical nature, inviting the reader to insert her own notes. 
The folder contains the publication and a cardboard sleeve containing four 
DVDs so for a brief moment my hopes were raised that they are recordings of 
the entire performances, which I was never able to find when going through 
publicly available materials. My curiosity as a dancer was piqued. 

I immersed myself in the publication of one of the most prominent 
artists of contemporary dance, Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker, a Belgian 
choreographer and dancer, founder of the dance company Rosas and a key 
figure of the Flemish new wave. The publication is structured as a series of 
analyses of the choreography scores of her early performances. The works 
comprised in it have greatly influenced the style of choreographic language 
in which dance is deliberated in ordinary, everyday movements, dismissing 
excess and expressive additions. The publication is the result of research 
initiated in 2010, jointly created and realized by Bojana Cvejic, performance 
art theorist, and Anne Theresa De Keersmaeker herself. The incentive for the 
analysis and creation of the publication was the recreation of the 
performance of De Keersmaeker's first pieces under the collective title "Early 
works" 2010, created in the period between 1982 and 1987. These are four 
early pieces that establish four different, but elementary approaches in the 
development of her choreographic language. These are the following: 




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— Fase, Four Movements to the Music of Steve Reich (1982) / Violin Phase, 
Come Out, Piano Phase, Clapping Music 

— Rosas Danst Rosas (1983) 

— Elena's Aria (1984) 

— Bartdk/Mikrokosmos (1987) 

The author of these four performances, which form the framework of the 
publication, is not only the choreographer, but also the dancer in these 
choreographies. The dance performances were created as a result of being in 
the studio, of movement and a search for one's own expression, one's own 
choreographic handwriting. It is precisely this physical experience of the 
dancer-author that I find most interesting because it is created as a by¬ 
product of the relation between the dancer's and the choreographer's 
experience of dance. 


A Choreographer's Score 

As indicated in the introduction to the publication, it is interesting that in the 
last ten years in Europe we are witness to a rapid development of various 
new methods of archiving and documenting dance, of the transfer of 
knowledge on dance and choreography as well as digital tools for the 
transfer of poetic and technical principles of movement. Such work on the 
sedimentation of the methodology of artistic practices surely goes hand in 
hand with the methods of financing experimental art in Europe and 
represents a turning point from project-based to research-based work with 
longer periods envisaged for working and multi-annual financing. However, 
in addition to financial incentives, it seems to me that such a remediation of 
artistic practices, or a research boom, if one can call it that, is also a result of 
the need of European choreographers for a reflexive approach to their own 
work. The goal of this turning point is the analysis and systematisation of 
artistic work that can be shared with a wider audience. Namely, dance, as 
opposed to music, film or visual arts, suffers from a historical lack of reflexive 
and theoretical documents, which creates the danger of many of the most 
significant pieces that have greatly marked the development of 
contemporary dance eventually disappearing or remaining preserved only in 
private libraries. Scores, recordings, texts and various visual or experiential 
elements of publications and tools partially attempt to "unmask" 
choreographic principles and differentiate the poetic specificities of different 
authors. At the same time, they contribute to the understanding of 
contemporary dance, which often remains opaque to the inexperienced 
spectator and occasionally even to theatrically more educated viewers, who 
are not part of the narrow circle of this artistic milieu. 

Publications and tools that open up the creative process have, 
therefore, a multiple role. By working on them, authors create a space for 
themselves to analyse their own work and reflect on it, which, in turn, affects 
the production of knowledge on (in) choreography and dance. The readers of 
such publications, on the other hand, are provided with insight into the 
creative process by discussing it and create knowledge as a result of this, 
which does not only serve the purpose of "pigeonholing" the end product - 
the performance. Allow me to indulge in the fantasy that, you never know, 
they might even pave the way to understanding dance outside of the ever 
popular search for the answer to the question "What sort of dance are you 


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doing?", and allow us not to abandon what differentiates dance from other 
artistic disciplines - the kinaesthetic experience. In the words of Bojana 
Cvejic from the introduction to the publication: "Dance needs to take itself 
seriously in order for others to do the same". 

A choreographer's score comprises two parts: the publication and four 
DVDs for four choreographies. The choreographies are, both textually and in 
the videos recordings (on the DVDs), elaborated with an almost surgical 
precision in the form of interviews. Since the DVDs do not contain recordings 
of the performances in their entirety, most probably due to strict copyright 
protection, I did not understand at first why the almost exact content would 
be analysed both textually and with the video materials, but the approach 
proved to make sense. Namely, the textual material offers questions and 
answers concerning the ideas for the performances and the context in which 
they were created, the methods and procedures, the origin and selection of 
the dance movements and the issue of the relationship between 
choreography on the one hand and music, space and costumes on the other. 
The text is complemented by sketches of the choreographer's score and 
drawings as well as archival documentation such as programme booklets, 
lists of expenditures, photographs from rehearsals and performances as well 
as private notes. As opposed to the text, the video recordings offer an 
interesting combination of interview, dance and short recordings of 
rehearsals and performances. The interview presented in the video was 
conducted, I presume, in the studio, and the interviewer is outside of the 
frame. A. T. De Keersmaeker, two chairs and a writing board are within the 
frame. Due to such a disposition, at times the interviewer slips into the role 
of student, and the interviewee switches between the explicational role and 
the role of dancer, demonstrating dance moves and sequences in front of the 
camera. Her replies are interrupted by her drawing spatial, musical and 
choreographic sketches on the board, flashes of dance and memories, and 
sporadic tense pauses during which she searches for a precise reply. It is 
occasionally precisely these slips into dance that become crucial in the search 
for the right answer because the body can say what would only be translated 
if we put it in words. These brief performative flashes change the focus of the 
interview for a moment; the way we listen to, view and understand what was 
said before. For instance, when De Keersmaeker analyses the choreographic 
composition of one of her performances in front of the board, she stops for a 
second and performs the dance sequence (as if trying to use the body to 
remind herself or express herself more precisely), only to return to writing on 
the board. Although the moment of dance is brief, without elaboration and 
taken out of the context of the entire choreography, to the viewer, who is a 
dancer, it becomes the locus of recognition and understanding of what De 
Keersmaeker is talking about, writing or drawing. The publication text, 
therefore, offers us a precision that her speech sometimes lacks, and the 
video, in turn, offers us performative moments that situate this precision in 
the body itself. 

The video and text both have the role of an extension of the 
choreography, like a score for the interpretation and better understanding of 
a unique choreographic language. Through a dialogue and coupling of the 
two perspectives - that of the choreographer and that of the spectator - 
they jointly unwind the layers of a specific choreographic approach and 
language - the principles, concepts, style and selection of movements. This is 
why I presume that the decision to conduct the conversation in the form of 
an interview was led by the intention to harness an intuitive approach to the 




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work, which is so difficult to "excavate" by reflecting on one's own work, and 
yet so often what propels us in our decision-making. 


Choreographic weaving 

In the publication, each performance is analysed individually, but links exist 
between them, which make them part of a unique choreographic language. 
These links are primarily choreographic principles, the ways in which 
movement and units are woven into the fine weaving of the choreography, 
and which appear in all four performances, most densely in the first two: 

Fase, Four Movements to the Music of Steve Reich and Rosas Danst Rosas. 

The basic principle of the production of material is repetition, the 
multiple execution of a movement or sequence of movements, in different 
combinations, which, with a continuity of the execution, on the level of the 
macrostructure of the performance, gradually constructs a continuous 
course of the performance. With the duration of the performance, the dance 
continues, gradually developing, with or without sudden changes, and with 
the accumulation of new movements the dance material transforms in time. 
Repetition as a choreographic principle in the performance Rosas Danst 
Rosas is brought to extremely complex combinations by using the 
counterpoint as a moment of surprise. The counterpoint is an expression 
borrowed from the dictionary of music, and in dance it represents the 
relation between two or more bodies that perform movements 
simultaneously, but with a shift in time or the sequence of the performance. 
In the performance Fase, Four Movements to Music of Steve Reich De 
Keersmaeker, phase-shifting is used extensively as a choreographic response 
to phasing, the compositional technique in which a repetitive phrase is 
performed by two instruments at a steady but not identical pace. Two 
instruments (or two tape recordings) start to play in unison, then one of 
them accelerates or slows down the performance of certain notes and 
continues playing with a specific time lag in relation to the first instrument. 
They continue with the dissonance in sound by performing phrases in a way 
that allows us to hear each note twice. They follow this with an even more 
complex relation of sound, only to return to the initial unison via the same 
route. In choreography, phase-shifting occurs when two equal movements or 
sequences of movements (performed, for instance, by two dancers 
concurrently in space and performatively in unison) gradually start to change 
their relation, be it in time or space. The best example is the movement of 
the two dancers in the choreography Piano Phase. The movements are 
simple, and comprise variations of walking with a rotation around one leg, 
each time by 180 degrees, led by the arm and the upper body. The 
movements and direction of the performance of the two dancers are in 
unison until one of them accelerates and changes the direction of her 
movements. The lighting amplifies the impression, at times even taking the 
role of the third performer since its precise direction towards the back wall 
allows us to see the contours of the shadows of the dancers, and when one 
of them accelerates her movements and changes direction, it underlines the 
shift in phase of the musical and dance performance. 


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Vocabulary of dance 

De Keersmaeker has found encouragement for her structural decisions that 
she proposed to her associates, especially when it comes to the correlation of 
music, dance, space and movements, on the American choreographers of the 
1960s and 1970s, who propounded a new perception of dance and 
choreography as common, everyday movement stripped of expressive 
additions and highlighting the mutual relations between all elements of the 
performance. As she herself points out, it is the opera Einstein on the Beach 
by director of Robert Wilson, composer Philip Glass and choreographer 
Lucinda Childs, which combines elements of theatre and highly formalized 
movement based on repetition, that functioned as an inspirational impulse. 
The slow development of the material and long duration of the performance 
open a dramaturgic space and provide an opportunity to shift the focus from 
one element of the performance to another, allowing the viewer to create 
the relations between them, rather than such relations being structurally 
postulated. 

The vocabulary of dance, therefore, mostly relies on the combination of 
everyday gestures (walking, turning, sitting down, lying, moving of arms) 
with formal, repetitive movements derived from them. In the performance 
Rosas Danst Rosas, this vocabulary also contains moments of attack and 
withdrawal as well as movements of a powerful energetic charge, but 
without affective elaboration, whereas in Violin Phase, the economy of 
movement comprises turns/rotations and movements of feet that are 
repeated and constructed through accumulation and variation, becoming 
increasingly complex as the performance goes on. The costume plays an 
important role in the production of dance - in Violin Phase it is the dress, 
which due to its natural movement around the body invokes rotation, and 
since the performance is carried out on (what I presume is) sand, the 
selection of footwear was also significant. The movements of the feet on the 
sand and ground leave a trace of the performance. The shoes (the Roots, 
which with Rosas Danst Rosas have also become a characteristic of style) 
give the body a greater weight, which allowed the traces in the ground to be 
more visible in order to create a distinct pattern and give the performance a 
specific quality. In Elena's Aria, the costume also shapes the movement - the 
tight dresses restrain the movement, producing smaller steps and falls, and 
the high heels change the body's centre of gravity. In addition to the 
costumes, the chair is another pivotal object in the production of dance and 
as the locus of the performance. For instance, in the performance Come Out 
the entire dance takes place in the sitting position around the axis of the 
chair, in circles. The legs are mostly fixed in place, with occasional ejections in 
which the leg is stretched out and pulled back, while the arms and upper 
body carry most of the performance. 

In the performances Rosas Danst Rosas and Elena's Aria, the movements 
have the character of gestures - movements like the lowering and lifting of 
the blouse in order to show the shoulder, the running of fingers through the 
hair or the lifting of the skirt function as gestures because as opposed to the 
other movements they carry a different meaning and have a connotation of 
"female" gestural movement. Also, they are performed with a specific quality 
that has become emblematic in terms of style for the choreography of Anne 
Teresa De Keersmaeker. Both the movements and their quality have, as she 
herself puts it, come into being as a result of her desire for the individuation 
of each of them, the accentuation of the personality of the dancers within 





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the unique common vocabulary, and the fact that they danced "themselves" 
and created a dance vocabulary "from within themselves". It seems, 
nonetheless, that in producing the dance they created an impression/image 
of movement that they themself did not contemplate since it was born from 
within their bodies. It would be interesting, however, in a wider and more 
diligent scope of observation, to compare how their vision of femininity on 
the level of movement and gesture relates to other choreographic 
approaches to femininity. 


Relation to music 

In the majority of her pieces, De Keersmaeker develops a close relation 
between music and systemic thought in choreography and dance, in which 
she uses music, or rather the musical score, as a generator for choreography. 
With her close associate, film director and musician Thierry De Mey, she 
analyses the elements of the score and recognises its principles, which she 
then translates into choreography. In the performance Fase, Four Movements 
to the Music of Steve Reich, Reich's innovations include the use of loop on 
tapes to create a phasing pattern. She treats choreography in the same way 
Reich treats music - with a minimum of content introduced, and a maximum 
combination of the content. In the first choreography of the performance 
Piano Phase, she analyses one of the first pieces of Steve Reich in which he 
uses phase-shifting with acoustic instruments. The musical score is divided 
into three parts, and on the level of the entire score there is one musical 
phrase that is repeated. As indicated above, the two pianos begin in unison, 
but after a while one of them "skips over" in the performance of a phrase 
with a specific time lag, just as the dancers, who also begin in unison with 
their movements and direction of the performance, change their relation 
when one of them accelerates and changes the direction of the movement. 

In the choreography Clapping Music, the musicians at first clap the same 
rhythmic pattern in unison, but as the performance goes on, they each begin 
to "go their own way". In each following performance of the rhythmic 
pattern, one of them leaves out the first note, that is the first clap. He begins 
to clap at the same time as the first musician, but his first note is the second 
note of the original pattern, and his last note is the first note of the original 
pattern. The performers go round doing this until they return to the unison 
performance. The choreography to this musical template went in the 
opposite direction. The dance sequence is also repetitive, but rather than 
leaving out a movement, the dancers add one. In the performance Bartok/ 
Mikrokosmos, her curiosity for the analysis and exploration of music has led 
her to a very demanding task - the analysis of a serious classical piece, in 
which there is very little freedom of interpretation, let alone for translation 
into dance, in which every element is very precisely defined and complexly 
structured. The scale in which it is written, its pulsations and rhythmic 
structures are at moments very difficult to distinguish to the untrained ear. 

So as not skip over some of the rigid structures, she used the elements of the 
musical pattern as the elements of the macrostructure of the choreography, 
but she decided to take on the challenge of the translation of the music into 
dance from another angle. In other words, she wanted to bring out the 
musicality of the piece to the surface, and underline its melody and rhythm. 
To bring dance closer to music. Instead of accentuating its complex structure, 
she did the opposite: she amplified its danceability and musicality. The 


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173 


danceability is additionally accentuated with movements that are 
reminiscent of folk or social dance since Bartok's compositions themselves 
abound in folk elements. She is thus not only bringing dance closer to music, 
but also closer to the dance of the "common man", but set in a highly 
formalized and complex matrix of the performance. She is bringing to the 
surface the virtuosity of simple movements that anyone could do. As 
opposed to her early works, this piece lasts only 30 minutes, but it is 30 
minutes of very dense weaving and filigree precision. The coordination of the 
dancers among themselves and with the musicians creates a unique relation 
between music and dance, performed live through concatenation, 
overlapping and correlation. Such a performative experience attempts to 
provide the viewer with the possibility to watch music and listen to the 
dance while at the same time listening to the music and watching the dance. 



Dance as labour 

When entering, the audience can see the dancers on stage preparing for the 
performance, which was not common at the time. Nothing is hidden, there 
are no off-stage areas in which the dancers can disappear or perform hidden 
actions. Everything happens on stage and the actions, such as putting on 
shoes and the bringing in or moving of chairs, take as long as they need to. 
Moreover, the performance lasts over two hours, which is very exhausting for 
the dancers, and underlines the dimension of physical labour with a non¬ 
functional, but focused consumption of energy. The repetition and repetition 
and repetition over the long duration of the performance begins to produce 
an excess and transforms into some sort of pleasure and excitement. The 
movements are accompanied with audible breathing, and it is precisely this 
breathing that gives it a function and focus. The exhaustion is not the goal, 
but the result of structural decisions: the physical exhaustion of the dancers 
as a result of the long duration and the choreographic exhaustion of a 
relatively small number of dance movements, but in a great number of their 
combinations. In doing so, it seems to me the performative challenge 
consists of finding ways to overcome the fatigue and exhaustion in the name 
of the joy of the collective performance. It is exactly this togetherness and 
collective that can become an interesting perspective for viewing the 
performance, especially Elena's Aria in which, in the words of De Keersmaeker, 
support and solidarity were, both in the course of preparing the performance 
and in the performance itself, the principle of work that brought everyone 
together. Since the performance is organised around two ways of being on 
stage - dancing and sitting, waiting and viewing - viewing them has become 
their dancing and vice versa. 

This publication provides a great overview of the early work of Anne Teresa 
de Keersmaeker and has a significant archival value. The pieces collected in 
the publication are fundamental for the development of her analytical 
choreographic language, clean and precise in the performance. The 
choreographic language is created through movement and from movement, 
and it is composed through a simultaneous reduction and maximisation - of 
only several dance phrases (a minimum number of movements that have 
their beginning and end and which function as independent units in the 
performance), but through a maximisation of their variations. Through a 
detailed analytical approach to the individual pieces, the authors really 




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created a comprehensive overview and defined the methodological and 
choreographic principles of Anne Therese De Keersmaeker, which are 
certainly worth studying. It seems to me, from my perspective as a dancer, 
that the publication provides a common thread that can be used to continue 
working on a tool that, unburdened with an aesthetic approach, can serve as 
a methodological template for the creation or articulation of the work of 
other choreographers as well. Namely, as I was reading the publication, it 
occurred to me that the consistent and diligent creation of a choreographic 
language always hinges on the poetics of a specific choreographer, on his or 
her individual signature style and handwriting, which, in addition to that, is 
created through an individual's body. How, then, is one to separate the 
methodology of a choreographer from the choreographer's body and poetics 
in order to transfer dance knowledge "unburdened" by aesthetics? I was also 
intrigued by the re-enactments of the early pieces because they were 
performed by new dancers; for the new dancers to learn how to do the 
performances in the same way they were performed by the original cast, one 
had to consider the transfer of a specific way of movement from one body to 
another. One also needed to pose the following question: Which physical 
categories need to be extracted from the dancing body in order to, once they 
are "extracted" from one body, transfer them to another? In other words, it 
would be interesting to see how this choreographic approach and dance 
knowledge can be methodologically/pedagogically liberated from an 
individual's choreographic signature style so as to transfer knowledge on 
choreography and socialize it, rather than commodifying and 
professionalizing it. 


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178 


Frakcija #68/69 

Umjetnost i novae 


Biljeske o suradnicima / 
Notes on contributors 


D ragana Alfixevic studixala je 
povijest umjetnosti na 
Sveucilistu u Beogxadu i zavxsila 
specijalisticke studije u sklopu 
Body Unlimited pxograma na 
Novosadskoj akademiji. 1998. je 
suosnovala internacionalnu 
kompaniju Cxaft Theatre, i danas 
je aktivna u kazalisnim 
pxodukeijama i edukaeiji, kao i u 
xadu s posebnim i maxginalizixanim 
giupama. Svi su njezini pxojekti 
uglavnom xealizixani na putu, u 
suxadnji s institucijama i 
umjetnicima iz svih dijelova 
svijeta. U vlastitom je xadu 
zanima gxadnja mostova izmedu 
teoxije umjetnosti i dxustva, i 
stvaxne pxakse. 2004. inicixala je 
i suosnovala STANICU - Sexvis za 
suvxemeni pies, koji djeluje u 
polju edukaeije, xazmjene 
infoxmaeija i pxomocije suvxemenog 
plesa i izvedbenih umjetnosti. 

D xagana Alfixevic studied axt 
histoxy at Belgxade Univexsity, 
and completed hex specialist 
studies within the fxamewoxk of 
the Body Unlimited Piogiam at Novi 
Sad Academy. In 1998 she co¬ 
founded the intexnational Cxaft 
Theatxe company, and is today 
active in theatxe pxoduction and 
education. She also woxks with 
special and maxginalised gxoups. 
All hex pxojects have been mainly 
xealised on the xoad, in 
collaboxation with institutions 
and axtists fxom all ovex the 
woxld. In hex own woxk, she is 
intexested in building bxidges 
between theoxy of axt and society, 
and actual pxactice. In 2004 she 
initiated and co-founded STATION: 
Sexvice fox Contempoxaxy Dance in 
Belgxade, which focuses on 
education, infoxmation exchange 
and pxomotion of contempoxaxy 
dance and pexfoxming axts. 


C oxina L. Apostol je 

povjesnicaxka umjetnosti, 
kustosica i spisateljica. 
Diplomixala je povijest umjetnosti 
na sveucilistu Duke i txenutno je 
doktoxandica na povijesti 
umjetnosti na Rutgexsu, The State 
Univexsity of New Jersey, s temom 
koja se bavi suvxemenom dxustveno 
angazixanom umjetnoscu Istocne 
Euxope i Rusije. Takodex je 
uxednica The Long Apxil. Texte 
despxe axta, umjetnickog magazine 
fokusixanog na xumunjski kontekst, 
koji gxupa autoxica objavljuje 
online. Apostol je jedna od 
osnivacica AxtLeaksa, jedna od 
uxednica AxtLeaks Gazette i glavna 
uxednica AxtLeaks online platfoxm. 
Radi i zivi izmedu Bukuxesta i New 
Bxunswicka. 

C oxina L. Apostol is an axt 

histoxian, cuxatox and wxitex. 
She holds a BA in Axt Histoxy fxom 
Duke Univexsity and is cuxxently a 
Ph.D candidate in Axt Histoxy at 
Rutgexs, The State Univexsity of 
New Jersey, with a focus on 
contempoxaxy socially engaged axt 
fxom Eastexn Euxope and Russia. 

She is also the co-editox of The 
Long Apxil. Texte despxe axta, an 
axts magazine focused on the 


Romanian context, published online 
by a gxoup of women authoxs. 
Apostol is one of the co-foundexs 
of AxtLeaks, co-editox of the 
AxtLeaks Gazette and the main 
editox of the AxtLeaks online 
platfoxm. She woxks and lives 
between Buchaxest and New 
Bxunswick. 


A nnie Doxsen djeluje u xaznim 
poljima, koji ukljucuju 
kazaliste, film, pies i, od 2010., 
digitalnu izvedbu. A Piece of Woxk 
je nedavno pxemijexno izveden u On 
the Boaxds (Seattle), a potom u 
Black Boxu (Oslo), BIT 
Teatexgaxasjenu (Bexgen) i bxutu 
(Bee). Hello Hi Thexe pxemijexno 
je izveden na steixischex hexbst 
festivalu (Gxaz), a potom u Black 
Boxu, BIT Teatexgaxasjenu, Hebbel 
am Ufexu (Bexlin) i PS122 (New 
Yoxk). Jedna je od autoxica 
bxodvejskog mjuzikla Passing 
Stxange , koji je takodex i 
xezixala. Spike Lee je xezixao 
film po toj njezinoj pxodukeiji 
koji je pxemijexno pxikazan na 
Sundance filmskom festivalu 2009., 
a potom na South by Southwest 
filmskom festivalu i Txibeca 
filmskom festivalu. Distxibuixao 
ga je IFC pocevsi od 2010., a 
potom je bio pxikazan u sklopu 
PBS-ovog sexijala Gxeat 
Pexfoxmances. 2010. je suxadivala 
s koxeogxafkinjom Anne Juren na 
pxedstavi Magical (ImPulsTanz 
Festival u Becu, Side Step 
Festival u Helsinkiju, Theatxe de 
la Cite). 

A nnie Doxsen woxks in a vaxiety 
of fields, including theatxe, 
film, dance and, as of 2010, 
digital pexfoxmance. Most 
xecently, A Piece of Woxk 
pxemiexed at On the Boaxds 
(Seattle) and was pxesented at 
Black Box (Olso), BIT Teatexgaxa- 
sjen (Bexgen) and bxut (Vienna). 
Hello Hi Thexe pxemiexed at the 
steixischex hexbst festival 
(Gxaz), and was pxesented at Black 
Box, BIT Teatexgaxasjen, Hebbel am 
Ufex (Bexlin) and PS122 (New 
Yoxk). She is the co-cxeatox of 
the 2008 Bxoadway musical Passing 
Stxange, which she also dixected. 
Spike Lee has since made a film of 
hex pxoduction of the piece, which 
pxemiexed at the Sundance Film 
Festival in 2009, subsequently 
sexeened at South by Southwest 
Film Festival and The Txibeca Film 
Festival, and was xeleased theat- 
xically by IFC in 2010 befoxe 
being bxoadcast on PBS' Gxeat 
Pexfoxmances. Also in 2010, she 
collaboxated with choxeogxaphex 
Anne Juren on Magical (ImPulsTanz 
Festival Vienna, Side Step Festi¬ 
val Helsinki, Theatxe de la Cite). 


M axko Ercegovic je xoden 1975. u 
Dubxovniku. Diplomixao na 
odsjeku snimanja na ADU Zagxeb. 
Bavi se videom i fotogxafijom. 

Zivi i xadi u Dubxovniku i 
Zagxebu. Od 1995. godine izlagao 
je na 12 samostalnih i vise 
skupnih izlozbi. Od 1998. do danas 


xadi kao fxeelance fotogxaf, 
izmedu ostalog za publikaeije 
vezane uz hxvatski biznis. 

M arko Ercegovic was boxn in 1975 
in Dubxovnik. He gxaduated in 
Camexa at the Academy of Dxama 
Axts in Zagxeb. Woxks in the field 
of video and photogxaphy. Lives 
and woxks in Dubxovnik and Zagxeb. 
Since 1995 he exhibited at 12 solo 
and and numexous joint 
exhibitions. Since 1998 woxks as a 
fxeelance photogxaphex, also fox 
publications xelated to Cxoatian 
business. 


N ina Gojic je zavxsila 
pxeddiplomski studij 
dxamatuxgije na Akademiji dxamske 
umjetnosti u Zagxebu i diplomski 
studij Intexnational Pexfoxmance 
Reseaxch na sveucilistima u 
Amstexdamu i Waxwicku. Txenutno 
pohada diplomski studij 
dxamatuxgije izvedbe na ADU. Radi 
kao dxamatuxg na autoxskim 
pxojektima, pise teoxijske eseje, 
dxamske tekstove i tekstove za 
izvedbu. Objavljivala je xadove u 
casopisu studenata sociologije 
Diskxepancija, Zaxezu, na Txecem 
pxogxamu Hxvatskog xadija i 
casopisu jugoLink. 

N ina Gojic holds a BA in 

Dxamatuxgy fxom the Academy of 
Dxama Axts in Zagxeb and MA in 
Intexnational Pexfoxmance Reseaxch 
fxom the Univexisities of 
Amstexdam and Waxwick. Woxks as a 
dxamatuxg, wxites theoxetical 
essays, plays and pexfoxmance 
texts. Hex woxk was published in 
Diskxepancija, Zaxez and jugoLink 
and bxoadcasted on Cxoatian xadio 
III. 


A ndrew Haydon je bivsi bxitanski 
kazalisni kriticar (FT, 
Guardian, Time Out i dxugi). Sad 
pise o kazalistu za svoj blog, 
Postcards From The Gods, i ponekad 
pxihvaca ponude da pise za 
zanimljive medunaxodne publikaeije 
kao sto su Nachtkritik, Fxakcija i 
Exeunt. Njegov je pxikaz 
bxitanskog kazalista u pxvom 
desetljecu 21. stoljeca objavio 
Methuen u knjizi Decades - Modern 
British Playwriting: 2000-2009 
(uredio Dan Rebellato). Twitter: @ 
Postcaxd_Gods Blog: http:// 
postcaxdsgods.blogspot.co.uk/. 

A ndrew Haydon is an ex-UK 

theatre critic (FT, Guardian, 
Time Out, etc.). He now writes 
about theatre fox his blog, 
Postcards From The Gods, and 
accepts occasional commissions 
from interesting internationalist 
places like Nachtkritik, Fxakcija 
and Exeunt. His account of British 
theatxe in the 2000s is published 
by Methuen in Decades - Modern 
British Playwriting: 2000-2009 
(ed. Dan Reballato).Twitter here: 
@Postcaxd_Gods. His blog, 

Postcards from the Gods, here: 
http://postcaxdsgods.blogspot.co. 
uk/ 








Frakcija #68/69 

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179 


C al Kizn je doktozirao politicku 
filozofiju na Sveucilistu Nova 
Gorica. Bio je istzazivac na Jan 
van Eyck Akademiji u Maastxichtu 
(2008.-2009.) i na Institutu za 
kultuzalna pitanja u Bezlinu 
(2010.-2011.) Zajedno s Peterom 
Thomasom, Sazom Farris i Katjom 
Diefenbach uredio je knjigu 
Encountering Althusser (Blooms¬ 
bury, 2012), a s Dubzavkom Sekulic 
i Zigom Testenom knjigu Yugoslav 
Black Wave Cinema and its Trans¬ 
gressive Moments (JvE Academie, 
2012). Urednik je knjige Postfor¬ 
dism and its discontents (JvE 
Academie, B-Books i Mirovni 
Institut, 2010). U svom rodnom 
gradu Ljubljani, angazixan je u 
sklopu Delavsko punkerske univex- 
ze, a trenutno je postdoktorand 
fundacije Humboldt u Bezlinu. 

C al Kizn holds a PhD in 

political philosophy from the 
University of Nova Gorica. He was 
a researcher at the lan van Eyck 
Academie in Maastricht (2008-2009) 
and a research fellow at Institute 
of Cultural Inquiry Berlin (2010- 
2011). He is a co-editor (with 
Peter Thomas, Sara Farris and 
Katja Diefenbach) of the book 
Encountering Althusser 
(Bloomsbury, 2012), (with Dubravka 
Sekulic and Ziga Testen) of the 
book Yugoslav Black Wave Cinema 
and its Transgressive Moments (JvE 
Academie, 2012), and an editor of 
the book Postfordism and its 
discontents (JvE Academie, B-Books 
and Mirovni Institut, 2010). In 
his home-town Ljubljana, he is 
engaged in the Workers-Punks' 
University, whereas currently he 
is a postdoctoral fellow of the 
Humboldt Foundation (HU, Berlin). 


M azko Miletic je apsolvent na 
studijama Istorije umetnosti na 
Filozofskom fakultetu u Beogradu, 
radnik u kulturi, clan Kontekst 
kolektiva. Trenutno radi na 
izucavanju pitanja o radnom i 
materijalnom polozaju umetnika i 
radnika u kulturi, aktivan je u 
kampanji "Za rad i stxajk" koja se 
bori protiv izmene radnog 
zakonodavstva u Srbiji, kao i na 
pokretanju prostora i programa 
zadruge "Oktobax". 

M azko Miletic is a student of 
art history at the Faculty of 
Humanities and Social Sciences in 
Belgrade, cultural worker, member 
of Kontekst collective. He is 
currently working on the question 
of work and material position of 
artists and workers in culture, 
and is active in the campaign "For 
work and strike" which fights 
against the changes of Labour law 
in Serbia, and is engaged on the 
founding of the cooperative 
"Oktobax". 


C ozan Pavlic graduated in 

philosophy and sociology at the 
Faculty of Social Studies and 
Humanities in Zagreb in 2007. He 
holds a PhD from the same 
university on political economy of 
Krleza's Family Glembaj (2014). He 


is working at the Academy of Drama 
Arts, Department of Dramaturgy 
since 2008. The fields of his 
theoretical research include 
philosophy of politics, political 
economy, performance theory and 
aesthetics, with the emphasis on 
the relation between theatre and 
politics. He is an active member 
of the Academic Solidarity Union 
which is based on the principles 
of direct democracy. 

C ozan Pavlic je diplomirao 
filozofiju i sociologiju na 
Filozofskom fakultetu u Zagrebu 
2007. te doktozirao na istom 
fakultetu na temu politicke 
ekonomije Glembajevih 2014. Od 
2008. zaposlen je na Akademiji 
dramske umjetnosti kao asistent na 
Odsjeku za dramaturgiju. Podzucja 
teorijskog interesa su filozofija 
politike, politicka ekonomija, 
teorije izvedbe i estetika, s 
posebnim naglaskom na odnos 
kazalista i politike. Aktivni je 
clan direktno-demokratskog 
sindikata Akademska solidarnost. 


Z zinka Uzbinec je plesna 
umjetnica, clanica 
kolaborativne izvedbene skupine 
BADco. Do 2013. godine, bila je 
jedna od koordinatorica 
Eksperimentalne slobodne scene 
(ekscene), nezavisne organizacije 
za promicanje plesne i drugih 
izvedbenih umjetnosti. Plesno 
obrazovanje stjece zavzsenom 
Skolom suvremenog plesa Ane 
Maletic te pohadanjem brojnih 
radionica u zemlji i inozemstvu, 
dok plesno iskustvo stjece u radu 
i u suradnji s zazlicitim plesnim 
i izvedbenim autorima i grupama 
poput: Olivera Fxljica, Llinkt!-a, 
Marmot / Irme Omerzo, OOUR-a, 

Rajka Pavlica, Matije Ferlina, 
Aleksandre Janeve Imfeld. 
Potpisnica je nekoliko koautorskih 
plesnih projekata. Povremeno daje 
satove suvremenog plesa i, u 
suradnji s ostalim clanovima 
BADco., dxzi radionice u Hrvatskoj 
i inozemstvu. Akademsko 
obrazovanje stjece diplomom na 
Ekonomskom fakultetu u Zagrebu. 

Z zinka Uzbinec is a dancer and 
performer with interest in 
choreography. She is a member of 
performance collective BADco. and 
has been, until 2013, one of the 
coordinators of Experimental Free 
Scene (ekscena), an independent 
organization established to 
promote contemporary dance and 
other forms of performing arts. 

She has finished School for 
Contemporary Dance "Ana Maletic" 
and has participated in many dance 
workshops in Croatia and abroad. 
Her work experience includes 
collaborations with authors and 
groups like: Oliver Fxljic, 

Llinkt!, Marmot / Irma Omerzo, 
OOUR, Rajko Pavlic, Matija Ferlin, 
Aleksandra Janeva Imfeld. She has 
coauthored several dance projects. 
Often giving classes in 
contemporary dance, she also holds 
workshops with other BADco. 
members in Croatia and abroad. She 
holds a degree from the Faculty of 
Economics, University of Zagreb. 


^elena Vesic je nezavisna 
J kustoskinja, spisateljica, 
izdavacica i pxedavacica, koja 
zivi i radi u Beogradu. Od 2001. 
do 2009. bila je jedna od urednica 
Preloma - casopisa za sliku i 
politiku a od 2005. do 2010. 
vodila je nezavisnu organizaciju 
Prelom Kolektiv, aktivnu u 
podxucju izdavastva, istxazivanja 
i izlozbenih praksi, cija je i 
suosnivacica. Jedna je od urednica 
Red Thread — casopisa za socijalnu 
teoriju, savremenu umetnost i 
aktivizam (Istanbul) od 2009. i 
clanica uxednistva Art Margins 
(MIT Press). Bavi se politikom 
reprezentacije u umetnosti i 
vizuelnoj kulturi, praksama 
samoorganizovanja i politizacije 
kulturnog delovanja. Kao 
kustoskinja, cesto ekspeximentise 
sa okvirima, metodologijama i 
kontekstualnim i kolaborativnim 
aspektima umetnosti. 


^elena Vesic is an independent 
^curator, writer, editor, and 
lecturer, living and working in 
Belgrade. From 2001 — 2009 she was 
coeditor of Prelom — Journal of 
Images and Politics (Belgrade) and 
from 2005 — 2010 codirected the 
independent organization Prelom 
Kolektiv (Belgrade), which she 
cofounded, active in the field of 
publishing, research, and 
exhibition practice. She is also 
coeditor of Red Thread — Journal 
for Social Theory, Contemporary 
Art and Activism (Istanbul) and 
member of the editorial board of 
Art Margins (MIT Press). Her 
research deals with politics of 
representation in art and visual 
culture, practices of self- 
organisation and politicization of 
cultural activities. As a curator, 
she often experiments with frames, 
methodologies and contextual and 
collaborative aspects of art. 


D mitry Vilensky je umjetnik, 

aktivist i osnivac Chto Delat?, 
platforme koju je 2003. osnovao 
kolektiv umjetnika, kxiticaxa, 
filozofa i pisaca s ciljem da 
stope politicku teoriju, umjetnost 
i aktivizam. Vilensky uglavnom 
radi u polju interdisciplinarnih 
kolektivnih praksi u filmu, 
fotografiji, tekstu, instalaciji i 
intervencijama u javnoj sferi. 
Urednik je i Chto Delat? novina. 
Vilensky je jedan od su-osnivaca 
AxtLeaks i jedan od urednika 
AxtLeaks Gazette. Zivi i radi u 
Petrogradu. 

D mitry Vilensky is an artist, 
writer, activist and founding 
member of Chto Delat?/What is to 
be done?, a platform initiated in 
2003 by a collective of artists, 
critics, philosophers, and writers 
with the goal of merging political 
theory, art, and activism. 

Vilensky works mainly within a 
framework of interdisciplinary 
collective practices in film, 
photography, text, installation 
and interventions in the public 
sphere. He is also an editor of 
the Chto Delat? newspaper. 

Vilensky is one of the co-founders 
of AxtLeaks and co-editor of the 


AxtLeaks Gazette. He lives and 
works in St. Petersburg. 









180 


Frakcija 


Casopis za izvedbene umjetnosti / 
Performing Arts Journal 
No. 68/69, 
zima/winter 2013. 

izdavaci Centar za dramsku umjetnost / 
/publishers Centre for Drama Art 

Gaje Alage 6, Zagreb, Croatia 
& 

Akademija dramske umjetnosti / 

Academy of Dramatic Art 

Trg marsala Tita 5, Zagreb, Croatia 


UREDNISTVO 
/ EDITORS 


Marko Kostanic(glavni urednik/editor-in-chief) 
Una Bauer, Marin Blazevic, Goran Fercec, Oliver 
Frljic, Ivana Ivkovic, Ivana Sajko, Jasna Zmak 


urednicki savjet Ric Allsopp, Bojana Cvejic, Lada Cale Feldman, 

/ editorial board Tomislav Brlek, Ivica Buljan, Matthew Goulish, 
Agata Juniku, Florian Malzacher, Jon McKenzie, 
Aldo Milohnic, Goran Sergej Pristas, Heike Roms 


tajnica urednistva Maja Mihaljevic 

/ EDITORIAL SECRETARY 


D&AD Ruta 


adresa urednistva CDU - Centre for Drama Art 
/ editorial address Gaje Alage 6 
no 000 Zagreb 
Croatia 

tel: +385 91 8929747 
e-mail: frakcija@cdu.hr 
http://www.cdu.hr 


urednice broja Vesna Vukovic i Una Bauer 

/ EDITORS OF THIS ISSUE 


typography Typonine Sans, Marlene Display 

[Nikola Durek-» www.typonine.com] 


printing Tiskara Zelina 

podrzali Gradski ured za kulturu Grada Zagreba / 

/ supported by City Office for Culture Zagreb 

Ministarstvo kulture Republike Hrvatske / 
Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Croatia 


Ovaj broj casopisa za izvedbene umjetnosti 
Frakcija objavljen je u suizdavastvu s 
[BLOK]-om u okviru programa Mikropolitike. 
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jointly published with [BLOK], in the framework 
of the program Micropolitics. 
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